Definitions for support
səˈpɔrt, -ˈpoʊrtsup·port

Princeton's WordNet(3.07 / 14 votes)Rate this definition:

1. support(noun)

   the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

   "his support kept the family together"; "they gave him emotional support during difficult times"

2. support(noun)

   aiding the cause or policy or interests of

   "the president no longer has the support of his own party"; "they developed a scheme of mutual support"

3. support(noun)

   something providing immaterial assistance to a person or cause or interest

   "the policy found little public support"; "his faith was all the support he needed"; "the team enjoyed the support of their fans"

4. support, reinforcement, reenforcement(noun)

   a military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission

   "they called for artillery support"

5. documentation, support(noun)

   documentary validation

   "his documentation of the results was excellent"; "the strongest support for this view is the work of Jones"

6. support, keep, livelihood, living, bread and butter, sustenance(noun)

   the financial means whereby one lives

   "each child was expected to pay for their keep"; "he applied to the state for support"; "he could no longer earn his own livelihood"

7. support(noun)

   supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation

   "the statue stood on a marble support"

8. support, supporting(noun)

   the act of bearing the weight of or strengthening

   "he leaned against the wall for support"

9. accompaniment, musical accompaniment, backup, support(noun)

   a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts

10. support(noun)

    any device that bears the weight of another thing

    "there was no place to attach supports for a shelf"

11. support, financial support, funding, backing, financial backing(verb)

    financial resources provided to make some project possible

    "the foundation provided support for the experiment"

12. support, back up(verb)

    give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to

    "She supported him during the illness"; "Her children always backed her up"

13. support(verb)

    support materially or financially

    "he does not support his natural children"; "The scholarship supported me when I was in college"

14. back, endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support(verb)

    be behind; approve of

    "He plumped for the Labor Party"; "I backed Kennedy in 1960"

15. hold, support, sustain, hold up(verb)

    be the physical support of; carry the weight of

    "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?"

16. confirm, corroborate, sustain, substantiate, support, affirm(verb)

    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts

    "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant"

17. subscribe, support(verb)

    adopt as a belief

    "I subscribe to your view on abortion"

18. corroborate, underpin, bear out, support(verb)

    support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm

    "The stories and claims were born out by the evidence"

19. defend, support, fend for(verb)

    argue or speak in defense of

    "She supported the motion to strike"

20. support(verb)

    play a subordinate role to (another performer)

    "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act"

21. patronize, patronise, patronage, support, keep going(verb)

    be a regular customer or client of

    "We patronize this store"; "Our sponsor kept our art studio going for as long as he could"

22. digest, endure, stick out, stomach, bear, stand, tolerate, support, brook, abide, suffer, put up(verb)

    put up with something or somebody unpleasant

    "I cannot bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage"

Wiktionary(3.25 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. support(Noun)

   Something which supports. Often used attributively, as a complement or supplement to.

   Etymology: From supporter.

2. support(Noun)

   Financial or other help.

   The government provides support to the arts in several ways.

   Etymology: From supporter.

3. support(Noun)

   Answers to questions and resolution of problems regarding something sold.

   Sure they sell the product, but do they provide support?

   Etymology: From supporter.

4. support(Noun)

   in relation to a function, the set of points where the function is not zero, or the closure of that set.

   Etymology: From supporter.

5. support(Noun)

   A set whose elements are at least partially included in a given fuzzy set (i.e., whose grade of membership in that fuzzy set is strictly greater than zero).

   If the membership function of a fuzzy set is continuous, then that fuzzy set's support is an open set.

   Etymology: From supporter.

6. support(Verb)

   To keep from falling.

   Don't move that beam! It supports the whole platform.

   Etymology: From supporter.

7. support(Verb)

   To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.

   Sure they sell the product, but do they support it?

   Etymology: From supporter.

8. support(Verb)

   To back a cause, party etc. mentally or with concrete aid.

   I support France in the World Cup

   Etymology: From supporter.

9. support(Verb)

   To help, particularly financially.

   The government supports the arts in several ways.

   Etymology: From supporter.

10. support(Verb)

    To serve, as in a customer-oriented mindset

    The IT Department supports the research organization, but not the sales force.

    Etymology: From supporter.

11. support(Verb)

    To be accountable for, or involved with, but not responsible for.

    I support the administrative activities of the executive branch of the organization

    Etymology: From supporter.

12. support(Verb)

    To imply a service role.

    I don't make decisions, I just support those who do.

    Etymology: From supporter.

Webster Dictionary(3.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Support(verb)

   to bear by being under; to keep from falling; to uphold; to sustain, in a literal or physical sense; to prop up; to bear the weight of; as, a pillar supports a structure; an abutment supports an arch; the trunk of a tree supports the branches

2. Support(verb)

   to endure without being overcome, exhausted, or changed in character; to sustain; as, to support pain, distress, or misfortunes

3. Support(verb)

   to keep from failing or sinking; to solace under affictive circumstances; to assist; to encourage; to defend; as, to support the courage or spirits

4. Support(verb)

   to assume and carry successfully, as the part of an actor; to represent or act; to sustain; as, to support the character of King Lear

5. Support(verb)

   to furnish with the means of sustenance or livelihood; to maintain; to provide for; as, to support a family; to support the ministers of the gospel

6. Support(verb)

   to carry on; to enable to continue; to maintain; as, to support a war or a contest; to support an argument or a debate

7. Support(verb)

   to verify; to make good; to substantiate; to establish; to sustain; as, the testimony is not sufficient to support the charges; the evidence will not support the statements or allegations

8. Support(verb)

   to vindicate; to maintain; to defend successfully; as, to be able to support one's own cause

9. Support(verb)

   to uphold by aid or countenance; to aid; to help; to back up; as, to support a friend or a party; to support the present administration

10. Support(verb)

    a attend as an honorary assistant; as, a chairman supported by a vice chairman; O'Connell left the prison, supported by his two sons

11. Support(noun)

    the act, state, or operation of supporting, upholding, or sustaining

12. Support(noun)

    that which upholds, sustains, or keeps from falling, as a prop, a pillar, or a foundation of any kind

13. Support(noun)

    that which maintains or preserves from being overcome, falling, yielding, sinking, giving way, or the like; subsistence; maintenance; assistance; reenforcement; as, he gave his family a good support, the support of national credit; the assaulting column had the support of a battery

Freebase(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Support

   In mathematics, the support of a function is the set of points where the function is not zero-valued, and the closure of that set. This concept is used very widely in mathematical analysis. In the form of functions with support that is bounded, it also plays a major part in various types of mathematical duality theories.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Support

   sup-pōrt′, v.t. to bear up: to endure or sustain: to keep up as a part or character: to make good: to defend: to represent in acting: to supply with means of living: to uphold by countenance, patronise: to follow on the same side as a speaker.—n. act of supporting or upholding: that which supports, sustains, or maintains: maintenance: an actor playing a subordinate part with a star: an accompaniment in music.—adj. Support′able, capable of being supported: endurable: capable of being maintained.—n. Support′ableness.—adv. Support′ably.—ns. Support′ance (Shak.), support; Support′er, one who, or that which, supports: an adherent: a defender: (her.) a figure on each side of the escutcheon.—adjs. Support′ing, Support′ive.—n.fem. Support′ress. [L. supportāre—sub, up, portāre, to bear.]

The New Hacker's Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. support

   After-sale handholding; something many software vendors promise but few deliver. To hackers, most support people are useless — because by the time a hacker calls support he or she will usually know the software and the relevant manuals better than the support people (sadly, this is not a joke or exaggeration). A hacker's idea of ‘support’ is a têete-à-têete with the software's designer.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. support

   1. The action of a force that aids, protects, complements, or sustains another force in accordance with a directive requiring such action. 2. A unit that helps another unit in battle. 3. An element of a command that assists, protects, or supplies other forces in combat. See also close support; direct support; general support; interdepartmental or agency support; international logistic support; inter-Service support; mutual support.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. support

   To aid, to assist; it likewise signifies to preserve untarnished; as, to support the ancient character of a corps. Well supported, is well aided or assisted. It likewise signifies well kept up; as, a well supported fire from the batteries; a well supported fire of musketry.

Editors Contribution(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. support

   A type of structure or device created to secure.

   They had a support over the top of the lorry to keep the load secure.

   Submitted by MaryC on February 10, 2020  

2. support

   To intuitively provide what is just and fair.

   The workplace support was excellent and everyone agrees we are united.

   Submitted by MaryC on February 12, 2020  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'support' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #449

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'support' in Written Corpus Frequency: #788

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'support' in Nouns Frequency: #173

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'support' in Verbs Frequency: #125

How to pronounce support?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say support in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of support in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of support in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of support in a Sentence

1. Mark Toner:

   We reject outright the premise that the Turkish Government is in league with ISIL to smuggle oil across its borders, and we frankly see no evidence – none – to support such an accusation.

2. Mike Pompeo:

   We will refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs that give financial support to other foreign groups in the global abortion industry, we will enforce a strict prohibition on backdoor funding schemes and end-runs around our policy.

3. Renee Ellmers:

   As someone who has been targeted by completely false accusations and innuendo, I have been moved by the outpouring of support and prayers from my colleagues, constituents and friends. Now I will be praying for those who find it acceptable to bear false witness.

4. Karim Atal:

   If the government does not support Helmand, we will call on our people to grab weapons and fight against the Taliban.

5. Egbert Klop:

   Without the fast and extensive logistical support of the U.S. military, there couldn’t have been an operation like this in the first place.

Images & Illustrations of support

Popularity rank by frequency of use