assistance
Americannoun
-
assistance
plural
noun
-
help; support
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the act of assisting
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informal See national assistance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of assistance
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English assistence, from Medieval Latin assistentia; assist + -ance
Explanation
If you see a blind man having trouble crossing the street, offer him some assistance. Lending a hand is just one way of providing assistance. Assistance is a noun that means to help or aid. It's the noun form for the verb to assist. Homes for the elderly are sometimes called "assisted living facilities" because they provide assistance to older folks who might need assistance getting in and out of bed, or feeding themselves. If you're in a store and no one is helping you, call a manager and ask for assistance. However, if you like to shop, you probably won't need any assistance spending money.
Vocabulary lists containing assistance
List 5
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List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the occupied West Bank, the WFP is continuing to give assistance to some 200,000 Palestinians, having halved the number of recipients in September.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The kingdom has turned to Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and European countries for military assistance to help fend off the Houthi attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Bessent pointed to continued American intelligence and military assistance, arguing that Washington was seeking a negotiated end to the war.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
"Prince's group is said to have supported Congolese special operations forces and army units with drone surveillance and other technical assistance."
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Donations to PIH helped provide medical assistance for victims both in Port-au-Prince, which was near the earthquake’s epicenter, and at the Zanmi Lasante facilities in the central plateau and the lower Artibonite Valley.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
