sponsor
n. · v.-
1 financial backer (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea person or company that pays for a show, a sports team, or an event, usually to advertise their own name.
an entity that provides funds for a project, event, or individual, typically in exchange for commercial advertising rights.
ExampleThe local bank is the main sponsor of the town's annual summer festival.
ExampleThe corporate sponsor withdrew its funding after the athlete was involved in a public scandal that damaged the brand's reputation.
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of' to indicate the project being funded.
- backer
- patron
- underwriter
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2 legal or formal guarantor (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Lawsomeone who takes official responsibility for another person, such as a person moving to a new country.
a person or organisation that assumes responsibility for another, often in a legal, religious, or immigration context.
ExampleTo get a work visa, you often need a company to act as your sponsor.
ExampleThe university acted as the official sponsor for the visiting professor, ensuring all visa requirements were met during her residency.
UsageIn immigration contexts, this is a countable noun referring to the person signing the guarantee.
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3 to provide support (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto pay for or support an event, person, or piece of work.
to provide financial or official support for an undertaking. Transitive — always takes a direct object.
ExampleA large technology company decided to sponsor the school's new science lab.
ExampleSeveral local businesses volunteered to sponsor the charity run, covering the costs of water, t-shirts, and timing equipment.
UsageCommonly used in the passive voice: 'The event was sponsored by...'
Learned borrowing from Latin spōnsor (“a surety", in Late Latin "a sponsor in baptism”).