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REFERENCE

support

v. · n.
US //səˈpɔɹt// UK //səpˈɔːt// sup·port
  1. 1 to help or encourage (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to help someone or agree with their ideas because you want them to succeed.

    to give assistance to or express agreement with a person, cause, or policy.

    Example

    My family always supports me when I decide to try something new.

    Example

    The local community rallied to support the initiative, providing both volunteer hours and significant financial donations to the cause.
  2. 2 to hold up (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to hold the weight of something so that it does not fall.

    to bear the weight of an object or structure to maintain its stability.

    Example

    These strong wooden beams support the entire roof of the house.

    Example

    Engineers reinforced the foundation with steel pilings to support the additional weight of the proposed third storey.
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  1. 3 to provide evidence (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Science

    to show that an idea or a statement is true by providing facts.

    to provide evidence for or lend credibility to a hypothesis or claim.

    Example

    The latest data supports the theory that the climate is changing quickly.

    Example

    The findings of the longitudinal study support the hypothesis that early intervention significantly improves literacy outcomes in primary school children.
  2. 4 technical compatibility (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Technical Computing

    to be able to work with a specific type of software or hardware.

    to be designed to provide capacity for or be compatible with a specific program or file type.

    Example

    Does this old computer support the latest version of the video editor?

    Example

    The updated operating system no longer supports legacy hardware, forcing many users to upgrade their peripheral devices.
  3. 5 help and encouragement (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the help or encouragement you give to someone.

    assistance, encouragement, or approval given to a person or an organisation.

    Example

    I couldn't have finished the marathon without the support of my friends.

    Example

    The candidate's campaign gained momentum after receiving vocal support from several influential labour unions.
  4. 6 technical assistance (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Computing

    a service that helps customers solve problems with a product.

    a service provided by a company to handle technical issues or customer enquiries.

    Example

    If you can't log in, you should call technical support for help.

    Example

    The software company offers twenty-four-hour support to ensure that enterprise clients experience minimal downtime during system migrations.
  5. 7 mathematical set (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Academic Math

    the set of points where a mathematical function is not zero.

    the set of points in the domain of a function where the function's value is non-zero.

    Example

    The support of this function is limited to a small range of numbers.

    Example

    In functional analysis, we often consider functions with compact support to simplify the integration process over infinite domains.

Etymology 1

From Middle English supporten, from Old French supporter, from Latin supportō.

Etymology 2

From Middle English support, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French support. Displaced Old English wraþu.

Word family

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