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patronus

9.9

A man who protects and helps people who depend on him in ancient Rome

noun
/ˈpeɪtrənəs/

Archaic

: patrón

In ancient Rome, a wealthy senator often acted as a patronus to artists, funding their work and providing them with protection.

Examples

Each citizen sought a patronus to help navigate the complexities of political life in the Roman Republic.
The role of a patronus in society was crucial, as it ensured that clients received support and defense from powerful individuals.
This panda would be the right Patronus for Goutami, I think.

Blog text (13)

Synonyms

defender

vspatronus

252 2.8

A person who protects someone or something from harm

also provides support beyond protection and traditionally denotes a male backer

protector

vspatronus

129 2.8

A person who defends and cares for another person or thing

also offers support and historically names a man who defended clients

patron

vspatronus

61 3.5

A person who gives money or other help to support people, groups and causes

also defends clients and traditionally denotes a male backer

patroness

vspatronus

3 7.8

A woman who gives money or help to charities and artists and sometimes the wife of a male supporter

denotes the male backer and defender rather than the female form

patronne

vspatronus

9.6

A woman who is the boss of a small business like a restaurant or hotel

refers to the male backer and guardian not a female manager

Surface Forms

patronus singular

patroni plural

Morphology

patronus = patron (transparent) = patron + us

This sense aligns with the historical Latin-derived meaning 'protector' and is directly inferable from 'patron'.

Etymology

The word patronus comes from Latin patronus, which meant 'protector' and is the same root as English patron. In ancient Rome a patronus was a man who supported and defended his clients, which is why the word still means a protector or supporter today.