Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense supports, present participle supporting, past tense, past participle supported
1. verb
If you support someone or their ideas or aims, you agree with them, and perhaps help them because you want them to succeed.
The vice president insisted that he supported the hard-working people of New York. [VERB noun]
They pressed the party to support a total ban on pesticides. [VERB noun]
Support is also a noun.
The Prime Minister gave his full support to the government's reforms.
They are prepared to resort to violence in support of their beliefs.
2. uncountable noun
If you give support to someone during a difficult or unhappy time, you are kind to them and help them.
We campaign for the rights of sufferers and provide support for the patient and family.
We hope to continue to have her close support and friendship.
Synonyms: help, protection, comfort, friendship More Synonyms of support
3. uncountable noun
Financial support is money provided to enable an organization to continue. This money is usually provided by the government.
...the government's proposal to cut agricultural support by only about 15%.
Synonyms: aid, help, benefits, relief More Synonyms of support
4. verb
If you support someone, you provide them with money or the things that they need.
I have children to support, money to be earned, and a home to be maintained. [VERB noun]
She sold everything she'd ever bought in order to support herself through art school. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
Synonyms: provide for, maintain, look after, keep More Synonyms of support
5. verb
If a fact supports a statement or a theory, it helps to show that it is true or correct.
The Freudian theory about daughters falling in love with their father has littleevidence to support it. [VERB noun]
Support is also a noun.
He offers no factual support for these assertions. [+ for]
6. verb
If something supports an object, it is underneath the object and holding it up.
...the thick wooden posts that supported the ceiling. [VERB noun]
Let your baby sit on the floor propped up with plenty of cushions to support him. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: bear, hold up, carry, sustain More Synonyms of support
7. countable noun
A support is a bar or other object that supports something.
8. verb
If you supportyourself, you prevent yourself from falling by holding onto something or by leaning on something.
He supported himself by means of a nearby post. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
Support is also a noun.
Alice, very pale, was leaning against him as if for support.
9. verb
If you support a sports team, you always want them to win and perhaps go regularly to their games.
Tim, 17, supports Manchester United. [VERB noun]
10. uncountable noun [usually NOUN noun]
At a concert or show, thesupport or the support act is a less well-known person or band who performs before the main person or band.
11. See also supporting
More Synonyms of support
support in British English
(səˈpɔːt)
verb(transitive)
1.
to carry the weight of
2.
to bear or withstand (pressure, weight, etc)
3.
to provide the necessities of life for (a family, person, etc)
4.
to tend to establish (a theory, statement, etc) by providing new facts; substantiate
5.
to speak in favour of (a motion)
6.
to give aid or courage to
7.
to give approval to (a cause, principle, etc); subscribe to
to support a political candidature
8.
to endure with forbearance
I will no longer support bad behaviour
9.
to give strength to; maintain
to support a business
10. (transitive)
(in a concert) to perform earlier than (the main attraction)
11. cinema, theatre
a.
to play a subordinate role to
b.
to accompany (the feature) in a film programme
12.
to act or perform (a role or character)
noun
13. Also (obsolete): supportment
the act of supporting or the condition of being supported
14.
a thing that bears the weight or part of the weight of a construction
15.
a person who or thing that furnishes aid
16.
the means of maintenance of a family, person, etc
17.
a band or entertainer not topping the bill
18. the support
19. medicine
an appliance worn to ease the strain on an injured bodily structure or part
20.
the solid material on which a painting is executed, such as canvas
21. athletic support
Derived forms
supportless (supˈportless)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Old French supporter, from Latin supportāre to bring, from sub- up + portāre to carry
support in American English
(səˈpɔrt)
verb transitive
1.
a.
to carry or bear the weight of; keep from falling, slipping or sinking; hold up
b.
to carry or bear (a specified weight, strain, pressure, etc.)
2.
to give courage, faith, or confidence to; help or comfort
3.
to give approval to or be in favor of; subscribe to; uphold
4.
to maintain or provide for (a person, institution, etc.) with money, or subsistence
5.
to show or tend to show to be true; help prove, vindicate, or corroborate
evidence to support a claim
6.
to bear; endure; submit to; tolerate
7.
to keep up; maintain; sustain; specif., to maintain (the price of a specified commodity) as by government purchase of surpluses
8. Computing
to be compatible with
see compatible (sense 5)
9. Theatre
to act a subordinate role in the same play with (a specified star)
noun
10.
a supporting or being supported
11.
a person or thing that supports
; specif.,
a.
a prop, base, brace, etc.
b.
a means of subsistence
c.
an elastic, girdlelike device to support or bind a part of the body
d.
maintenance and service, as for a computer system's software or hardware
technical support
adjective
12.
providing or having to do with support
support staff for a company's computer system
SYNONYMY NOTE: support, the broadest of these terms, suggests a favoring of someone or something, eitherby giving active aid or merely by approving or sanctioning [to support a candidate for office]; uphold suggests that what is being supported is under attack [to uphold civil rights for all]; sustain implies full active support so as to strengthen or keep from failing [sustained by his hope for the future]; maintain suggests a supporting so as to keep intact or unimpaired [to maintain the law, a family, etc.]; advocate implies support in speech or writing and sometimes connotes persuasion or argument[to advocate a change in policy]; back1 (often , back up) suggests support, as financial aid, moral encouragement, etc., given to preventfailure [I'll back you up in your demands]
Derived forms
supportable (supˈportable)
adjective
supportably (supˈportably)
adverb
Word origin
ME supporten < MFr supporter < LL(Ec) supportare, to endure, bear < L, to carry, bring to a place < sub-, sub- + portare, to carry: see port3
COBUILD Collocations
support
emotional support
financial support
government support
invaluable support
offer support
widespread support
Examples of 'support' in a sentence
support
They will also be offered support and their diet and exercise regime will be monitored.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Tell us a bit about these support slots.
The Sun (2009)
Paulo needs the full support of us all.
The Sun (2010)
One way is to provide direct financial support.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This occurs often in churches that support women in theory but not in practice.
Christianity Today (2000)
She counts herself lucky to have had the support of her family.
The Sun (2014)
The publishers said that they would continue to support the book.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They wanted the government to do something to support the capital position of thebanking sector.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They work to send money to support their families back home.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He played a massive part in supporting all the families back then.
The Sun (2012)
There is still lots of work to support those things.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
My leaflet on help for carers explains where you can find further support.
The Sun (2013)
We continue to offer our full support during this difficult time.
The Sun (2014)
They are also massively supported by volunteers who undertake thousands of hours of unpaid labour.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She talks loyally about his support and how much it means to her.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It was a nice example of financial management supporting sales.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
Initially offering general support these groups have now evolved to provide specific support for precise needs and widely differing experiences of loss.
Carpenter, Anne & Johnson, Geoffrey Why am I Afraid to Grieve (1994)
This was always going to be an expensive scheme to build and it would have required government support to make it viable.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This new architecture means a new approach to garden design and one in which planting will play a secondary and supporting role.
Page, Russell The Education of a Gardener (1994)
People have really come together to support them, especially straight after it happened.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He also has the players' respect and full support.
The Sun (2009)
In fact, the romantic friendships between men may have received stronger cultural support than the bonds between females.
Rotundo, E. Anthony American Manhood: Transformations in Masculinity from the Revolution to the ModernEra (1993)
In other languages
support
British English: support /səˈpɔːt/ NOUN
If you give someone your support, you agree with them, and perhaps try to help them because you want them to succeed.
The prime minister gave his full support to the government's reforms.
American English: support
Arabic: دَعْم
Brazilian Portuguese: apoio
Chinese: 支持
Croatian: podrška
Czech: podpora
Danish: støtte
Dutch: ondersteuning
European Spanish: apoyo
Finnish: tuki
French: soutien
German: Unterstützung
Greek: υποστήριξη
Italian: supporto
Japanese: 支え
Korean: 지원
Norwegian: støtte
Polish: poparcie
European Portuguese: apoio
Romanian: susținere
Russian: поддержка
Latin American Spanish: apoyo
Swedish: stöd
Thai: การสนับสนุน
Turkish: destek manevi
Ukrainian: підтримка
Vietnamese: sự ủng hộ
British English: support /səˈpɔːt/ VERB
If you support someone or their ideas or aims, you agree with them, and perhaps help them because you want them to succeed.
The vice president insisted that he supported the hard-working people of New York.
American English: support
Arabic: يَدْعَمُ
Brazilian Portuguese: apoiar
Chinese: 支持
Croatian: podržati
Czech: podporovat
Danish: støtte
Dutch: ondersteunen
European Spanish: apoyar
Finnish: tukea
French: soutenir
German: unterstützen
Greek: υποστηρίζω
Italian: sostenere
Japanese: 支える 支持
Korean: 지원하다
Norwegian: støtte
Polish: poprzeć
European Portuguese: apoiar
Romanian: a susține
Russian: поддерживать
Latin American Spanish: apoyar
Swedish: stödja
Thai: สนับสนุน
Turkish: desteklemek
Ukrainian: підтримувати
Vietnamese: ủng hộ
All related terms of 'support'
air support
→ another name for air cover
support act
a band or entertainer not topping the bill
the support
an actor or group of actors playing subordinate roles
arch support
a rigid support placed inside a shoe so that its molded form fits the arch of the foot and relieves strain on the muscles of the foot while walking , standing , etc
child support
money paid for the care of one's minor child, esp. payments to a divorced spouse or a guardian under a decree of divorce
fire support
support given by artillery and aircraft to infantry and armored vehicles
life support
maintaining a person's vital functions in severe illness or disability
moral support
If you give someone moral support, you encourage them in what they are doing by expressing approval .
offer support
If you give support to someone during a difficult or unhappy time, you are kind to them and help them.
price support
government maintenance of specified price levels at a minimum above market equilibrium by subsidy or by purchase of the market surplus at the guaranteed levels
self-support
support of oneself or itself without aid or reinforcement
support area
an area containing concentrations of personnel and materiel ready to support a force in the field
support band
a band, pop group, rock group, etc not topping the bill
support group
A support group is an organization run by and for people who have a particular problem or medical condition.
support hose
elastic stockings worn to reduce pressure on the veins of the leg , esp for people with varicose veins
support level
a minimum price below which a specific stock is not supposed to fall, as because of the stock's inherent worth
support price
the price guaranteed by a government price support programme
family support
a means-tested allowance for families in need
income support
In Britain, income support is money that the government gives regularly to people with no income or very low incomes.
support action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
support buying
buying carried out to support an exchange rate
support efforts
If you make an effort to do something, you try very hard to do it.
support growth
The growth of something such as an industry, organization, or idea is its development in size, wealth , or importance .
support mission
assistance given by one military unit to another to assist in the accomplishment of the supported unit's mission
support network
A network of people or institutions is a large number of them that have a connection with each other and work together as a system.
support system
people who provide support
victim support
Victim support is the giving of help and advice to people who are victims of crime.
athletic support
an elasticated belt with a pouch worn by men, esp athletes , to support the genitals
customer support
Customer support is a service provided to help customers resolve any technical problems that they may have with a product or service.
emotional support
If you give support to someone during a difficult or unhappy time, you are kind to them and help them.
financial support
Financial support is money provided to enable an organization to continue . This money is usually provided by the government.
government support
Financial support is money provided to enable an organization to continue . This money is usually provided by the government.
invaluable support
If you give support to someone during a difficult or unhappy time, you are kind to them and help them.
support mechanism
any formal system or method of providing support or assistance
support stockings
elastic stockings worn to reduce pressure on the veins of the leg , esp for people with varicose veins
technical support
Technical support is a repair and advice service that some companies such as computer companies provide for their customers, usually by phone , fax, or email.
widespread support
If you support someone or their ideas or aims , you agree with them, and perhaps help them because you want them to succeed .
support a campaign
A campaign is a planned set of activities that people carry out over a period of time in order to achieve something such as social or political change.
support a policy
A policy is a set of ideas or plans that is used as a basis for making decisions , especially in politics , economics , or business.
Child Support Agency
the British government agency concerned with the welfare of children
life-support machine
A life-support machine is the equipment that is used to keep a person alive when they are very ill and cannot breathe without help .
life-support system
A life-support system is the same as a → life-support machine .
decision support system
a system in which one or more computers and computer programs assist in decision-making by providing information
community support officer
a uniformed officer who is not a member of the police force but who has certain powers to be exercised in supplementing the role of the police, esp crowd control , tackling anti-social behaviour , etc
learning support assistant
a person whose job is to help a schoolteacher in the classroom
support the notion that
A notion is an idea or belief about something.
CSO
community support officer
classroom assistant
a person whose job is to help a schoolteacher in the classroom
Chinese translation of 'support'
support
(səˈpɔːt)
n
(u) (moral) 支持 (zhīchí)
⇒ The prime minister gave his full support to the reforms.首相对改革给予大力支持。 (Shǒuxiàng duì gǎigé jǐyǔ dàlì zhīchí.)
(u) (financial) 资(資)助 (zīzhù)
⇒ the proposal to cut agricultural support by 15%削减15%的农业资助的提议 (xuējiǎn bǎi fēn zhī shíwǔ de nóngyè zīzhù de tíyì)
(u) (= kindness, help) 帮助 (bāngzhù)
⇒ mentally ill people in need of support患心理疾病的人士需要帮助 (huàn xīnlǐ jíbìng de rénshì xūyào bāngzhù)
(c) (for object, structure) 支承 (zhīchéng)
(u) (= balance) 支撑(撐)物 (zhīchēngwù)
⇒ Alice was leaning against him for support.艾丽斯把他当支撑物靠着。 (Àilìsī bǎ tā dàng zhīchēngwù kàozhe.)