Meaning & use
under the auspices
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
with the official support, help, or organization of a person or group
Grammar: Followed by 'of' plus the supporting person or group: under the auspices of the city council.
Patterns
- under the auspices of someone
- under the auspices of something
The peace talks were held under the auspices of the United Nations.
Under the auspices of the local health authority, free clinics opened across the region.
The exchange program runs under the auspices of two universities.
Common combinations
- under the auspices of
- The festival took place under the auspices of the national tourism board.
- under someone's auspices
- The research was carried out under the professor's auspices.
- under the joint auspices of
- The concert was organized under the joint auspices of the city and the university.
Synonyms and how they differ
- under the patronage of
- Similar but often suggests financial or artistic support, especially by a wealthy or royal person.
- with the backing of
- More general and less formal; it simply means supported by someone.
Commonly confused: under the auspices or auspicious?
under the auspices vs auspicious
This adjective means 'showing signs that something will be successful'. It comes from the same root but has a different meaning from the phrase 'under the auspices'.
Practice
The conference was held ______ the auspices of the World Health Organization.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'under the auspices of'. The other prepositions do not form this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “under the auspices”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.