Word
Definitions
01financial backer
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person or company that pays for a show, a sports team, or an event, usually to advertise their own name.
n. an entity that provides funds for a project, event, or individual, typically in exchange for commercial advertising rights.
日本語:スポンサー※
“The local bank is the main sponsor of the town's annual summer festival.”
“The corporate sponsor withdrew its funding after the athlete was involved in a public scandal that damaged the brand's reputation.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of' to indicate the project being funded.
Synonyms
02legal or formal guarantor
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal
n. someone who takes official responsibility for another person, such as a person moving to a new country.
n. a person or organisation that assumes responsibility for another, often in a legal, religious, or immigration context.
日本語:保証人※
“To get a work visa, you often need a company to act as your sponsor.”
“The university acted as the official sponsor for the visiting professor, ensuring all visa requirements were met during her residency.”
Usage
In immigration contexts, this is a countable noun referring to the person signing the guarantee.
03to provide support
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to pay for or support an event, person, or piece of work.
v. to provide financial or official support for an undertaking. Transitive — always takes a direct object.
“A large technology company decided to sponsor the school's new science lab.”
“Several local businesses volunteered to sponsor the charity run, covering the costs of water, t-shirts, and timing equipment.”
Usage
Commonly used in the passive voice: 'The event was sponsored by...'
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sponsor” in context.
Verb
01. act as a sponsor
“A major bank agreed to act as a sponsor for the charity gala.”
verb + prep + noun
02. attract a sponsor
“The music festival managed to attract a sponsor from the telecommunications industry.”
verb + noun
03. find a sponsor
“The local football team is struggling to find a sponsor for their new uniforms.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. corporate sponsor
“The museum relies heavily on its corporate sponsors to fund new exhibitions.”
adj + noun
05. official sponsor
“The soft drink company is the official sponsor of the Olympic Games.”
adj + noun
06. potential sponsor
“We are currently in talks with several potential sponsors for the upcoming conference.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. sponsor of the event
“As the main sponsor of the event, their logo was displayed on every banner.”
noun + of + noun
08. title sponsor
“The electronics firm became the title sponsor, giving their name to the stadium.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“In a rarity, the club’s main shirt sponsor is a local business, the software company Halo.” “For the fourth year in a row, Chelsea look likely to start the season without a front-of-shirt sponsor.” “Later, in the sixth century B.C.E., the Athenian state sponsored performances of the two epics at a festival called Panathenaea .” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin spōnsor (“a surety", in Late Latin "a sponsor in baptism”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/sponsor
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR