sponsorship
SPON-ser-ship
/ˈspɒnsərʃɪp/
Financial support received from a sponsor (a person or organization that pays for or plans a project or event).
Usually involves a corporate entity paying for visibility at an event or on a team's jersey.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'spondere', meaning 'to pledge solemnly'. In ancient Rome, a 'sponsor' was someone who stood as a guarantee for another person's debt or behavior.
Word relationships
- backing: A more general term for support, often financial.
- patronage: Historically used for wealthy individuals supporting the arts; implies a more personal relationship.
Commonly confused with
- endorsement: Sponsorship is support for an event/team; endorsement is an athlete's personal approval of a product.
Word family
- sponsor (noun/verb): A person or organization that provides funds; to provide such funds.
Collocations
- corporate sponsorship
- title sponsorship
- sponsorship deal
Example sentences
- "Formula 1 teams rely heavily on multi-million dollar sponsorship deals to fund their research." Corporate involvement in racing.
- "The local bakery provided sponsorship for the youth soccer team's new uniforms." Local community sports.
Memory hook
A SPONSOR PLEDGES (spondere) to help. A corporate pledge.
When not to use
Don't confuse with 'charity'; sponsorship is a business transaction with expected returns.
Fun facts
- The word 'spouse' comes from the same root, as it involves a solemn pledge of marriage.
Related words
Also appears in
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