support

[ suh-pawrt, -pohrt ]

/ səˈpɔrt, -ˈpoʊrt /

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See synonyms for: support / supported / supporting / supports on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

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

to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.

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

to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.

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

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

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

to corroborate (a statement, opinion, etc.): Leading doctors supported his testimony.

to act with or second (a lead performer); assist in performance: The star was supported by a talented newcomer.

noun

the act or an instance of supporting.

the state of being supported.

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

maintenance, as of a person or family, with necessaries, means, or funds: to pay for support of an orphan.

a person or thing that supports, as financially: The pension was his only support.

a person or thing that gives aid or assistance.

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

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

Stock Exchange. support level.

adjective

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

OTHER WORDS FOR support

3 suffer, bear, stand, stomach.

13 sustenance, subsistence, keep.

See synonyms for support on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of support

First recorded in 1350–1400; (verb) Middle English supporten, from Middle French supporter, from Medieval Latin supportāre “to endure” (Latin: “to convey”), equivalent to sup- sup- + portāre “to carry” (see port⁵); (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb

historical usage of support

The English noun support derives from the verb support. The verb comes from Middle English supporten, soport, supporte, from Anglo-French and Middle French subporter, supporter, originally “to suffer patiently, endure,” then “to come to the help of,” and later “to be in favor of, encourage.” The Middle French subporter clearly shows its Latin original, supportāre (also subportāre ), which in Latin means only “to transport or carry (supplies) to a place.” The other senses of supportāre arose in Medieval Latin. Supportāre is a compound verb made up of the preposition and prefix sub, sub- (here in the sense “movement or position up close to”) and the simple verb portāre “to carry, convey, transport.”

OTHER WORDS FROM support

sup·port·ing·ly, adverbnon·sup·port·ing, adjectivepre·sup·port, noun, verb (used with object)pro·sup·port, adjective

qua·si-sup·port·ed, adjectiveun·der·sup·port, nounun·sup·port·ed, adjectiveun·sup·port·ed·ly, adverbun·sup·port·ing, adjectivewell-sup·port·ed, adjective

Words nearby support

supply chain, supply-side, supply-side economics, supply-sider, supply teacher, support, supportable, support area, supporter, support group, supporting

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

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.

How to use support in a sentence

A few of the 3DS variation that were, until recently, supported by Nintendo.
The end of the 3DS marks an inflection point for portable gaming|Kyle Orland|September 17, 2020|Ars Technica
In the playoffs, calls have been more likely to get the “support” ruling than “stands,” indicating slightly more confident review decisions.
Don’t Blame The Refs For All Of These Replay Reviews|Jared Dubin|September 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
It may, Cloudflare has a blog post that shares how you can check your site support.
GoogleBot to soon crawl over HTTP/2|Barry Schwartz|September 17, 2020|Search Engine Land
That’s 4 percentage points higher than the 68 percent who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016.
More And More Americans Aren’t Religious. Why Are Democrats Ignoring These Voters?|Daniel Cox|September 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

As Andrew Keatts has reported, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the Housing Commission advocated for state and federal officials to support hotel purchases to house homeless people after the city converted the Convention Center into a shelter.
Morning Report: The Dreaded Purple Tier|Voice of San Diego|September 16, 2020|Voice of San Diego
“I do not support gay marriages being recognized in Florida,” he wrote Andrew Walther of Sanford.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If the Israel model ban were directed towards disordered eating, Ravin says she would support it whole-heartedly.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In October, he traveled to Denver with Fry to support his work with LGBT rights organization The Matthew Sheppard Foundation.
Meet Stephen Fry’s Future Husband (Who Is Less Than Half His Age)|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A Republican candidate hoping to win red state support could find a worse team to root for than one from Dallas.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Both are considered marginal figures in the House GOP caucus and have no real base of support for their respective bids.
The YOLO Caucus' New Cry for Attention|Ben Jacobs|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His enemies persistently insinuated that he was really returning to Spain to support the clericals actively.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Several able speakers had made long addresses in support of the bill when one Mr. Morrisett, from Monroe, took the floor.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Martini was on his mission to Vienna; but another valet was put into the chariot to support the Duke.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
A double detachment of soldiers was already there, with orders to support him in case of resistance.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Danger threatened from two of them: Mr Bellamy had not afforded the support which he had promised.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for support

support

/ (səˈpɔːt) /

verb (tr)

to carry the weight of

to bear or withstand (pressure, weight, etc)

to provide the necessities of life for (a family, person, etc)

to tend to establish (a theory, statement, etc) by providing new facts; substantiate

to speak in favour of (a motion)

to give aid or courage to

to give approval to (a cause, principle, etc); subscribe toto support a political candidature

to endure with forbearanceI will no longer support bad behaviour

to give strength to; maintainto support a business

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

films theatre

to play a subordinate role to
to accompany (the feature) in a film programme

to act or perform (a role or character)

noun

the act of supporting or the condition of being supported

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

a person who or thing that furnishes aid

the means of maintenance of a family, person, etc

a band or entertainer not topping the bill

the support an actor or group of actors playing subordinate roles

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

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

See athletic support

Derived forms of support

supportless, adjective

Word Origin for support

C14: from Old French supporter, from Latin supportāre to bring, from sub- up + portāre to carry

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

support

OTHER WORDS FOR support

Origin of support

historical usage of support

OTHER WORDS FROM support

Words nearby support

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say support?

Words related to support

How to use support in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for support

Derived forms of support

Word Origin for support