assistance
Americannoun
noun
-
help; support
-
the act of assisting
-
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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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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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.
The spokesperson did not comment on whether it was specifically call-center employees whose roles were being eliminated, but highlighted the efficiency of its AI agent that provides roadside assistance in multiple languages around the clock.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026
One member of the team, Rebekah Drews, the family support leader, handles requests for assistance from the families.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
But while Yang provided similar assistance to authorities, his offences were so "grave" that his assistance "was insufficient to warrant a more lenient punishment", the Changzhou court said.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
"Countries are being pressured with threats of tariffs, visa bans or cuts to assistance," they said.
From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026
Sun Girl agreed, and while she went off in search of assistance, Duane continued staying wedged in the fishing hole, pondering how the day was turning out quite differently from how he had imagined.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions 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.
