Word
supporting
Phoneticssup·port·ing, stress on the second syllable
US/səˈpɔɹtɪŋ/
UK/səpˈɔːtɪŋ/
Definitions
01helping or secondary
B1 · Intermediate
adj. describing a person or thing that helps a main part succeed, like an actor who is not the lead.
adj. serving to provide assistance or backing; in performing arts, denoting a role or performer secondary to the leads.
“She won an award for best supporting actress in the new drama.”
“The lead researcher acknowledged that the supporting staff were instrumental in managing the daily logistics of the clinical trial.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it describes.
02providing evidence
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
adj. giving proof or reasons that show an idea is true.
adj. providing corroboration or evidence to strengthen a claim or argument.
“You need to include supporting documents with your visa application.”
“The legal team spent months gathering supporting evidence to ensure the witness's testimony would hold up under cross-examination.”
Usage
Commonly used with nouns like 'evidence', 'documents', or 'details'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03giving help or holding up
B1 · Intermediate
v. the action of helping someone or holding the weight of something.
v. the present participle of 'support', indicating the ongoing act of providing assistance, approval, or physical bracing.
“Thank you for supporting our small business during the holidays.”
“By supporting the local community through various charitable initiatives, the corporation managed to significantly improve its public image.”
Usage
Used in continuous tenses or as a gerund.
04a physical support
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Technical
n. something that holds another thing up so it does not fall.
n. a structural element or material that provides physical stability or bears weight.
“The workers added extra supporting to the old wall before they started the repairs.”
“The architectural plan called for steel supporting to be integrated into the foundation to prevent subsidence in the marshy soil.”
Usage
Often refers to temporary structures in construction.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “supporting” in context.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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