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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

"He may also have sought Beijing's active support and cooperation ahead of a possible summit with Trump in Shenzhen."

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

In the first round, 21.3% of voters in the poorest voting areas where da Silva draws much of his support stayed home, compared with 20.3% in the wealthiest, electoral data show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

Describing black poplars as "Lord of the Rings" looking trees with "great gnarled trunks", she said they support other wildlife, including the poplar hornet moth.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for Pyongyang, although ties have not always been smooth.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

But instead I just winked at Mr. Bangs to let him know I appreciated the support.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Mr. Ramaswamy supports building data centers on abandoned industrial sites and giving their surplus generated energy as “free electricity” to neighbors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

"We are here to proclaim Luque's innocence, not with television slogans, but with the evidence that supports it," Rallin said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

Vitamin C supports the activity of this enzyme, which helps maintain normal patterns of gene regulation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

"Their removal has reduced that risk and supports the long-term safe management of the site."

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Dewey admits it, but he adds that except for an apparently somewhat expurgated version of his own conduct, Hickock’s story supports Smith’s.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

When his wife supported him, branding young Amy Acton a liar, both the girl and her younger brother were removed from Donna Arthur’s custody and raised by their biological father.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

Catapult Books, an indie publisher that has supported authors across Southern California and beyond, has been sold.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

A campaign for a reprieve was supported by leading political and literary figures, including W B Yeats and George Bernard Shaw, but ultimately failed.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

“Today’s tentative risk-off, with U.S. Treasurys supported and struggling equities argues for continued pressure on eurozone government bond spreads,” said Hauke Siemssen, rates strategist at Commerzbank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

For Bass, this evidence was supported by the fact that none of the objects recovered were Mycenaean.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Originally from Lula's north-eastern home state of Pernambuco, he grew up supporting him.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

When asked why he is supporting Talarico, Noel said: "He's a young man, he's an honest man, he's got a vision, he's smart, well-spoken, nice, kind, which is what we need."

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

The resulting immune response gradually breaks down the bone supporting the dental implant.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Even after a Coachella set and supporting Calvin Harris, she describes this as the "biggest milestone of my career to date".

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Ellsberg admired President Harry Truman’s response—a commitment to supporting democracies and containing Soviet influence from spreading further.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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Related Words

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

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