support

American  

[suh-pawrt] / səˈpɔrt /

verb (used with object)

• supports,
  present (3rd person singular)
• supported,
  past participle,  past
• supporting
  present participle

1. to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.

   Don’t take down this dividing wall, as it supports the roof.

2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, speed, etc.) without giving way.

   The specs on this folding chair say it can support up to 200 pounds.

   The circuit breaker was not able to support the electrical requirements of three appliances.

3. to encourage, comfort, help, etc., under trial or affliction; sustain.

   They supported him throughout his ordeal.

4. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for.

   It is next to impossible to support a family on such a low salary.

5. to give financial assistance to (a person, organization, program, etc.); be a contributor to or patron of.

   I try to support the local theater by buying season tickets every year.

   Our scholarship fund supports a number of students from lower-income families.

6. Computers. (of a manufacturer) to provide regular updates, troubleshooting, service, etc., for (a program or device).

   They’re no longer supporting this version of the operating system.

7. to uphold (a person, cause, policy, etc.) by aid, public approval, one's vote, etc.; back; second.

   He was unable to support the resolution, but did not speak out against it either.

   Which candidate do you support in the City Council race?

8. to maintain or advocate (a theory, principle, etc.).

   Many viewers support the theory that the housekeeper will turn out to be the murderer.

9. to corroborate (a statement, opinion, etc.).

   Leading doctors supported his testimony.

10. to act with or second (a lead performer); assist in performance.

    The star was supported by a talented newcomer.

11. to undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate.

    How do you support the constant drama in this office?

    Synonyms:

    stomach, stand, bear, suffer

---

noun

• support
  plural

1. the act or an instance of sustaining, upholding, helping, advocating for, etc..

   Without emotional support I would never have made it through.

   Support for the party is growing among younger voters.

2. something that serves as a foundation, prop, brace, or stay.

   Those L-brackets are the supports for the shelf.

3. maintenance, such as of a person or family, with necessities, means, or funds.

   He paid for the support of the orphans until they completed their education.

   Synonyms:

   keep, subsistence, sustenance

4. a person or thing that supports, as financially.

   The pension was his only support.

5. a person or thing that gives aid, encouragement, etc..

   You have been such a support to me over this challenging time.

   The revised edition also includes updated daily lesson plans, sample tests, and other curricular supports.

6. Digital Technology. a department, team, or individual that offers troubleshooting, instruction, assistance, etc., to users.

   If you’re still having trouble signing in, contact support at the number below.

7. Computers. regular updates, troubleshooting, service, etc., by a manufacturer for a piece of software or hardware.

   Support for this application has been withdrawn.

8. an actor, actress, or group performing with a lead performer.

9. the material, such as canvas or wood, on which a picture is painted.

10. Stock Exchange. support level.

adjective

1. serving to assist, such as by providing instruction or solving problems, managing administrative tasks, supplementing the activities of colleagues, etc..

   Teachers are calling for smaller class sizes and more support personnel in the classroom.

   You will be acting in a support role to the executive director.

2. (of socks or stockings) made with elasticized fibers so as to fit snugly on the legs, thereby aiding circulation, relieving fatigue, etc..

   She wears support stockings for varicose veins.

support British  

/ səˈpɔːt /

verb

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. (tr) (in a concert) to perform earlier than (the main attraction)

11. films theatre

    1. to play a subordinate role to

    2. to accompany (the feature) in a film programme

12. to act or perform (a role or character)

---

noun

1. the act of supporting or the condition of being supported

2. a thing that bears the weight or part of the weight of a construction

3. a person who or thing that furnishes aid

4. the means of maintenance of a family, person, etc

5. a band or entertainer not topping the bill

6. an actor or group of actors playing subordinate roles

7. med an appliance worn to ease the strain on an injured bodily structure or part

8. the solid material on which a painting is executed, such as canvas

9. See athletic support

Usage

What are other ways to say support?

To support something, as a structure or heavy load, is to bear it or hold it up. To support a person is to supply them with things necessary to existence, or to keep their spirits or courage up under trial or affliction. How is support different from maintain, sustain, and uphold? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• presupport
  noun
• undersupport
  noun
• nonsupporting
  adjective
• prosupport
  adjective
• quasi-supported
  adjective
• supportless
  adjective
• unsupported
  adjective
• unsupporting
  adjective
• well-supported
  adjective
• supportingly
  adverb
• unsupportedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• support
  plural

Participles

• supporting
  present
• supported
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• support
  simple
• supports
  simple
• have supported
  perfect
• has supported
  perfect
• am supporting
  progressive
• are supporting
  progressive
• is supporting
  progressive
• have been supporting
  perfect progressive
• has been supporting
  perfect progressive

Past

• supported
  simple
• had supported
  perfect
• was supporting
  progressive
• were supporting
  progressive
• had been supporting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will support
  simple
• will have supported
  perfect
• will be supporting
  progressive
• will have been supporting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of support

First recorded in 1350–1400; (for the verb) Middle English supporten, from Middle French supporter, from Medieval Latin supportāre “to endure” ( Latin: “to convey”), from sup- sup- + portāre “to carry” ( see port ⁵); noun derivative of the verb

Explanation

The verb support means to bear weight or load, or otherwise support. If you build a house with blocks, you can safely remove some of them, but if you remove one that is supporting the weight of the blocks above it, the whole structure can collapse. Timber! If you agree with or approve of a cause, person, idea, or the like, you support it. If you support a certain charity, you may donate your time or money to the cause. The verb support also means to strengthen with new evidence; to corroborate. When politicians make an argument, they support it by providing "facts and figures." Your job is to figure out whether their evidence has been twisted to support their positions. Good luck.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

support supports supported supporting

Adjunct Associate Professor Enwu Liu adds that the findings suggest that regularly drinking tea could offer a simple way to support bone health later in life.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

"We are also implementing a new action plan for unpaid carers to ensure that they receive the support and recognition they deserve for the selfless work they do."

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Prosecutors said Wong and other activists had been lobbying on social media to get attention and support from abroad.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

“We do not support any war,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Veteran associations across the country adopt resolutions to support the Morrison bill.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Germany, which supports Ukraine in its fight against Russia, has for months reported suspicious drone sightings over military and industrial sites, but the Leipzig incident raised the alarm as a drone found there carried explosives.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Scotiabank’s Robert Hope says the sale of its 64% stake supports “management’s ongoing focus on its core U.S.-regulated utility operations.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

"It's an online community that really supports each other as well," she added.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

For its part, CiviClick notes on its website that it supports SB 1159, and said its platform already complies with what the bill proposes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

The wheeled supports rotated and dropped as they cleared the bumper.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

The smaller surviving amount of nitrous oxide could have supported prebiotic chemical reactions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

In a July 24 letter to the Moores and their attorneys, Farmers said it had “issued payment for covered damages supported by the investigation…. The claim is currently closed.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Flock Safety cameras helped solve an estimated 20% of cleared cases in relevant jurisdictions across America and supported more than one million law enforcement investigations in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

"This is a precautionary and clinically-led step to ensure that referrals for gender surgery are supported by robust quality, safety and clinical governance arrangements," it said.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

“Yes. I cannot leave Ogygia. My father, Atlas, fought against the gods, and I supported him.”

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

In the future, that knowledge may help researchers identify other star systems capable of supporting habitable worlds.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

Dr Rebeccah Tomlinson is a GP who runs a NHS menopause clinic within a hospital gynaecology department, supporting more complex cases.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

For much of their extraordinarily long deployment, the sailors were supporting U.S. operations in the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

A bill, known as AB 2319 and aimed at supporting the industry’s editors, sound mixers, composers and visual effects artists, passed the Senate on Sunday, marking the state’s first-ever stand-alone postproduction tax incentive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Letters to Wilson supporting the suffragists already far outnumbered those supporting the president’s position.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• aid
• approve
• assist
• back
• bolster
• boost
• endorse
• establish
• help
• hold
• justify
• maintain
• promote
• side with
• uphold