1
- a person or organization that provides funds for a project or activity carried out by another, in particular（计划、活动的）资助人, 赞助者, 资助（或赞助）单位, 尤指：
1.1
- an individual or organization that pays some or all of the costs involved in staging a sporting or artistic event in return for advertising（体育或文艺活动的）赞助人（或单位）。
1.2
- a person who pledges to donate a certain amount of money to another person after they have participated in a fund-raising event organized on behalf of a charity承诺捐赠者（指在参加为慈善事业组织的募捐活动后保证捐助一定数额金钱的人）。
1.3
- chiefly US a business or organization that pays for or contributes to the costs of a radio or television programme in return for advertising〈主美〉广播（或电视）节目赞助商（指以插入本公司广告作为交换条件资助某一节目的企业或公司）。
2
- a person who introduces and supports a proposal for legislation法案的倡议者：
a leading sponsor of the bill.
法案的一个主要倡议者。
2.1
- a person taking official responsibility for the actions of another保人, 保证人：
they act as informants, sponsors, and contacts for new immigrants.
他们充当起了新移民的信息提供者、担保人和联络人。
2.2
- a godparent at a child's baptism教父, 教母。
2.3
- (especially in the Roman Catholic Church) a person presenting a candidate for confirmation（尤指罗马天主教中引领受洗礼人参加坚信礼的）保证人。
with obj.
1
- provide funds for (a project or activity or the person carrying it out)为（计划、活动或其实施者）提供资金：
Joe is being sponsored by a government training scheme.
乔有政府培训计划的经费资助。
1.1
- pay some or all of the costs involved in staging (a sporting or artistic event) in return for advertising（用为自己做广告作为交换条件）赞助（体育, 文艺活动）。
1.2
- pledge to donate a certain sum of money to (someone) after they have participated in a fund-raising event organized on behalf of a charity承诺向…捐赠, 承诺赞助。
1.3
- often as adj. sponsored pledge to donate money because someone is taking part in (such an event)承诺捐赠, 保证赞助：
they raised £70 by a sponsored walk.
他们从这次受赞助的徒步募捐活动中募到了70英镑。
2
- introduce and support (a proposal) in a legislative assembly（在议会中）提出（倡议, 法案）：
a Labour MP sponsored the bill.
一名工党议员提出这项议案。
2.1
- propose and organize (negotiations or talks) between other people or groups倡导（谈判, 会谈）：
the USA sponsored negotiations between the two sides.
美国倡导双方进行谈判。
派生词
sponsorship
noun词源
mid 17th cent. (as a noun)： from Latin, from spondere 'promise solemnly' （see SPONSION）. The verb dates from the late 19th cent.