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• aid
  aid

  verb (used with object)

  to provide support for or relief to; help.
• AID
  AID

  noun

  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
  Aid

  combining form

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

aid

¹ American  

[eyd] / eɪd /

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

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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 ² American  

[eyd] / eɪd /

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.

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AID ³ American  

abbreviation

1. American Institute of Decorators.

2. American Institute of Interior Designers.

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

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aid ¹ British  

/ eɪd /

verb

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

2. (tr) to assist financially

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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 British  

abbreviation

1. acute infectious disease

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

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Aid ³ British  

combining form

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

   Band Aid

   Ferryaid

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Commonly Confused

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.

Related Words

See help.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of aid¹

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”; see also adjuvant ( def. )

Origin of AID²

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

Explanation

Aid is what you do when you help someone — you come to their aid. Rich countries provide economic aid to poor countries, and if you cut your hand, you'll be looking in the first aid kit for a Band-Aid. You can also use aid as a verb: "The librarian will aid you in your search." English has some words with meanings related to aid, but they're spelled with an -e on the end, because they come from the French. A nurse's aide is someone who assists a nurse. An aide-de-camp is a close assistant and confidant to a military officer, a word often shortened to just aide, to refer to an assistant to a political official.

Example Sentences

U.S. aid has been a lifeline for communities whose desperation can be exploited by militant recruiters.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Unemployment is rife, healthcare struggling and the aid that once provided the basics for millions has dwindled to a fraction of what it once was.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

And the US State Department said in a statement Monday it had mobilized $13 million in aid for "immediate response efforts."

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

China’s economic activity unexpectedly weakened in April despite resilient exports, increasing pressure on Beijing to roll out more measures to aid growth.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

He will accompany and aid me on the mission.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

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