benefactor

(bĕn'ə-făk'tər)
n.
One that gives aid, especially financial aid.

[Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin benefacere, to do a service. See benefaction.]

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noun

1. A person who supports or champions an activity, cause, or institution, for example: backer, contributor, friend, patron, sponsor, supporter. Informal angel. See help/harm/harmless.
2. A person who gives to a charity or cause: benefactress, contributor, donator, donor, giver. See give/take/reciprocity.

n

Definition: donor
Antonyms: antagonist, opponent, opposer

A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

One who makes heavy purchases of ingratitude, without, however, materially affecting the price, which is still within the means of all.

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IN BRIEF: A person who helps another, especially by giving money.

There was much speculation as to the identity of the college's secret benefactor.

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Quotes:

"With regard to donations always expect the most from prudent people, who keep their own accounts." - Joseph Addison

"Because they did not see merit where they should have seen it, people, to express their regret, will go and leave a lot of money to the very people who will be the first to throw stones at the next person who has anything to say and finds a difficulty in getting a hearing." - Samuel Butler

"In your Salvation shelter I saw poverty, misery, cold and hunger. You gave them bread and treacle and dreams of heaven. I give from thirty shillings a week to twelve thousand a year. They find their own dreams; but I look after the drainage." - George Bernard Shaw

"Nobody shoots at Santa Claus." - Alfred E. Smith

For a list of words related to benefactor, see:

• Spending, Receiving, and Possessing Wealth - benefactor: person giving financial help to another

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See words rhyming with "benefactor."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Benefactor.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - velgører

Nederlands (Dutch)
weldoener

Français (French)
n. - bienfaiteur

Deutsch (German)
n. - Gönner, Wohltuer

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ευεργέτης

Italiano (Italian)
benefattore

Português (Portuguese)
n. - benfeitor (m)

Русский (Russian)
благодетель, тот, кто занимается благотвори- тельностью

Español (Spanish)
n. - bienhechor, benefactor

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - välgörare, gynnare

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
恩人, 赠送者, 捐助者

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 恩人, 贈送者, 捐助者

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 후원자, 은인

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 後援者, 恩人

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) محسن, متبرع‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮תורם, גומל חסד‬

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