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 also pointed to the company’s push into data centers with its chip-based accelerator cards to support running AI models.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

A vague sense that the sheriff is “always in the news” for something good was part of what drove Rafael Nolasco to support his candidacy for a second term.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the bill would help to "build a clean energy future which people feel in their pockets, households and communities, ensuring support reaches those who need it most".

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Greater clarity or, better yet, progress toward a deal with the U.S. would support a broader recovery in exports and investment as confidence is restored for both businesses and consumers.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

It does scare some of the new personal support workers though, which I’m betting is why his lunch dishes haven’t been cleared away yet.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

To determine why some developing mice were affected while others appeared protected, Cheadle and Sanchez Martin examined the placenta, the organ that connects a developing fetus to its mother and supports its growth throughout pregnancy.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

Recent supply-chain indicators suggest “encouraging” demand for them, according to a recent Goldman Sachs note, which supports the shift toward higher-priced phones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

South African unions urged the government Tuesday to work to save a US duty-free trade deal that supports thousands of jobs, while analysts played down the broader economic impact.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

The only thing that’s changed since then is the candidate Stevens supports.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

Why do anything else when your lifestyle feeds you amply and supports a rich world of social structures, religious beliefs and political dynamics?

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

"The families of those involved are being supported, and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Most City Council members supported it, with Councilmember Tim McOsker noting his time is better spent working in his district.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Fervo, for its turn, is a pure-play EGS company with a “visible cost-reduction and growth road map, supported by strong commercial demand and learnings from the oil-and-gas industry,” the analysts wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

She supported Stevens in the primary and donated to her campaign.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026

Allun grinned as he knelt down beside him and supported his back.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Crack spreads — the difference between crude-oil prices and the prices of refined products — have retreated from multidecade highs, offering some relief for the inflation outlook and potentially supporting equities, Rizzuto noted.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

He said there were "ways of making learning fun" that did not involve "competition with yourself or with someone else" and EdTech should be about supporting teachers and not replacing them.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“I am supporting Nithya Raman for mayor in Los Angeles, Marissa Roy for city attorney,” he said with an “I Voted” sticker on his forehead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

“What I would stress here is that at 2.5%, our policy rate is still not restraining growth. We’ve actually been supporting growth, but the economy doesn’t need quite as much support,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 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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