assist

1 of 2

verb

as·​sist ə-ˈsist How to pronounce assist (audio)
assisted; assisting; assists

transitive verb

: to give usually supplementary support or aid to
She assisted the boy with his lessons.

intransitive verb

1
: to give support or aid
assisted at the stove
Another surgeon assisted on the operation.
2
: to be present as a spectator
… the ideal figures assisting at Italian holy scenes.Mary McCarthy

assist

2 of 2

noun

1
US : an act or action that helps someone : an act of assistance
He wrote the story with an assist from a friend. [=with the help of a friend]
2
: the action (such as a throw or pass) of a player who enables a teammate to make a putout (as in baseball) or score a goal (as in basketball or hockey)
also : official credit given for such an action
was credited with 5 assists in the first half
3
: a mechanical or electromechanical device that provides assistance

Examples of assist in a Sentence

Verb The device assists those who can't climb stairs. The President was assisted by his advisers. She assisted the boy with his homework. Another doctor assisted him with the operation. Another doctor assisted with the operation. Federal agents are assisting with the investigation. She assisted in making the decision. The cream assists in the prevention of skin cancer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Online volunteering can include offering to teach a class, assisting with writing and editing, or lending computer graphics expertise. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Grimaldo joined in the summer from Benfica with little fanfare before going onto become a potent attacking threat, scoring nine and assisting nine from left back. Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Initially, the suspect fled and the Boone County Sheriff’s office’s drone and the Indiana State Police helicopter assisted with locating the suspect, McHenry said. Fox19, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 The receiver, David I. Gilmore, brought Pettigrew on board to assist. Steve Thompson, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Miller traveled from his home in Tucson to meet with Brodhead and assist her in taking her own life with a plastic hood and nitrogen gas. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 Add in those who work in social services and those who assist marginalized populations, plus psychologists and other therapists who deal with severe abuse. Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, McC, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Those assisting placed an extension ladder near the upstairs bedroom where the children were in an attempt to rescue them. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 Offer to assist them with your network connections. Be transparent about your qualifications and interests. Gina Riley, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Russell got a standing ovation from the Crypto.com Arena crowd and his bench when the third 3-pointer (off an assist from James) in the sequence left him sprawled on his back from uncalled defensive contact and the Lakers with a 103-79 lead with 9:06 left. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024 Combined, the three Colorado natives have 272 caps, 80 goals and 69 assists for the national team. Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2024 William Eklund and Filip Zadina both scored off assists from Kunin in the first two periods when Chrona had 28 saves, including 16 in the second period when the Sharks took a 2-1 lead. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 In her third season with the team, Iowa reached its first NCAA women’s basketball national championship game, with Clark continuing her prolific scoring while adding over 7 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. Eric Levenson, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Jovic finished Saturday’s win with eight points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal in 19 minutes. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 Cooper got an assist from Carey Mulligan, who plays the actor Felicia Montealegre, Bernstein’s stylish wife. Leanne Italie, Quartz, 2 Mar. 2024 He’s also averaged 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.0 minutes per game. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024 Miller is having a strong first season, posting 16.5 points, four rebounds and 2.3 assists per game with 47 starts under his belt. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English assisten "to help, aid, give aid (to)," borrowed from Anglo-French assister (Middle French also "to be present near, stand near" [with a "to"]), borrowed from Latin assistō, assistere "to take up a position near, stand by, stand by as a supporter or advocate," from ad- ad- (assimilated to as-) + sistere "to cause to stand, assume a standing position, place, check, halt," going back to Indo-European *sti-sth2-e-, reduplicated present formation from the base *steh2- "set up (in a place), take a position," whence also Old Irish ˑsissedar (in arˑsissedar "[s/he] stays, stands fast"), Greek hístēmi, histánai "to cause to stand, place," hístamai, hístasthai "to take up a position, come and stand," Sanskrit tíṣṭhati "(s/he) takes a position, stands," Avestan hištaṇti "(they) take a position" — more at stand entry 1

Noun

derivative of assist entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assist was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near assist

Cite this Entry

“Assist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assist. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

assist

1 of 2 verb
as·​sist ə-ˈsist How to pronounce assist (audio)
: to give support or aid : help

assist

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act of assisting
2
: the action of a player who by passing a ball or puck makes it possible for a teammate to make a putout or score a goal

Medical Definition

assist

1 of 2 transitive verb
as·​sist ə-ˈsist How to pronounce assist (audio)
: to give usually supplementary support or aid to
assist the patient up the stairs
assist respiration mechanically

intransitive verb

: to give support or aid

assist

2 of 2 noun
: an act or procedure that provides assistance
external pressure circulatory assist employs compression of the lower extremitiesP. W. Wright

More from Merriam-Webster on assist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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