Meaning & use

benefactress

noun·Advanced

A woman who gives money or help to a person or cause.

See it in a sentence

The museum's new wing was named after its generous benefactress.

A wealthy benefactress paid for the orphanage's roof to be repaired.

A note on using this word

Benefactress is a dated, gender-specific form; modern writing generally prefers the gender-neutral term benefactor.

Words with a similar meaning

patronessdonor

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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