AID

¹

[eyd]

noun

U.S. Government.

1. the division of the United States International Development Cooperation Agency that coordinates the various foreign aid programs with U.S. foreign policy: established in 1961.

AID

²

abbreviation

1. American Institute of Decorators.

2. American Institute of Interior Designers.

3. British.,  artificial insemination donor. Also A.I.D.

aid

³

[eyd]

verb (used with object)

1. to provide support for or relief to; help.

   to aid the victims of the fire.

2. to promote the progress or accomplishment of; facilitate.

   Synonyms: advance, foster, back, abet
   Antonyms: frustrate, hinder

verb (used without object)

1. to give help or assistance.

noun

1. help or support; assistance.

   Synonyms: grant, subsidy, relief, succor

2. a person or thing that aids or furnishes assistance; helper; auxiliary.

3. Manège.,  aids,

   1. Also called natural aids. the means by which a rider communicates with and controls a horse, as the hands, legs, voice, and shifts in weight.

   2. Also called artificial aids. the devices used by a rider to increase control of a horse, as spurs, whip, and martingale.

4. aide-de-camp.

5. foreign aid.

6. a payment made by feudal vassals to their lord on special occasions.

7. English History.,  (after 1066) any of several revenues received by a king in the Middle Ages from his vassals and other subjects, limited by the Magna Charta to specified occasions.

aid

¹

/ eɪd /

verb

1. to give support to (someone to do something); help or assist

2. (tr) to assist financially

noun

1. assistance; help; support

2. a person, device, etc, that helps or assists

   a teaching aid

3. Also: artificial aid. mountaineering any of various devices such as piton or nut when used as a direct help in the ascent

4. (in medieval Europe; in England after 1066) a feudal payment made to the king or any lord by his vassals, usually on certain occasions such as the marriage of a daughter or the knighting of an eldest son

5. informal,  in support of; for the purpose of

AID

²

abbreviation

1. acute infectious disease

2. artificial insemination (by) donor: former name for Donor Insemination (DI)

Aid

³

combining form

1. denoting a charitable organization or function that raises money for a cause

   Band Aid

   Ferryaid

Confusables Note

Although the nouns aid and aide both have among their meanings “an assisting person,” the spelling aide is increasingly used for the sense “helper, assistant”: One of the senator's aides is calling. Aide in military use is short for aide-de-camp. It is also the spelling in nurse's aide.

Other Word Forms

• aider noun
• aidful adjective
• aidless adjective
• unaided adjective
• unaidedly adverb
• unaiding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of AID¹

A(gency for) I(nternational) D(evelopment)

Origin of AID²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English noun aide, eide, from Anglo-French, Old French aide, derivative of verb aid(i)er, from Latin adjūtāre “to help”; adjuvant ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of AID¹

C15: via Old French aidier from Latin adjūtāre to help, from juvāre to help

Synonym Study

See help.

Example Sentences

“The law firm conducted an independent review of the charity, and shared conclusive findings affirming that FireAid has acted in accordance with mission, has strong accountability measures and aid is reaching affected communities,” the FireAid organization said in a statement about the review findings at the time.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His planned 2026 budget was due to include vital financial aid to the territory after heavy damage caused by riots last year.

Read more on BBC

Badenoch insisted she could meet this promise, with the money to come from some of the £47bn in planned savings from the welfare budget and foreign aid, announced earlier this week.

Read more on BBC

He spent the next day in a hotel paid for by a local mutual aid group, but he couldn’t even rest or enjoy sleeping indoors for a change.

Read more on Slate

He said safety information was critical, with a "record" number of aid workers having been killed this year around the world.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• assistance 
• benefit 
• care 
• compensation 
• cooperation 
• gift 
• relief 
• service 
• subsidy 
• treatment