aid

verb

\ ˈād

aided; aiding; aids

Definition of aid

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

: to provide with what is useful or necessary in achieving an end aid a cause aid a friend

intransitive verb

: to give assistance research that aided in the discovery of a new drug

aid

noun

Definition of aid (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : the act of helping someone climbers in need of aid

b : help given : assistance providing aid and comfort specifically : tangible means of assistance (such as money or supplies) government aid

2a chiefly US : aide worked as a teacher's aid

b : something by which assistance is given : an assisting device an aid to understanding a visual aid — see hearing aid

3 : a subsidy granted to the king by the English parliament until the 18th century for an extraordinary purpose

4 : a tribute paid by a vassal to his lord

AID

abbreviation

Definition of AID (Entry 3 of 3)

1 Agency for International Development

2 artificial insemination by donor

Other Words from aid Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about aid

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Examples of aid in a Sentence

Verb

They gave money in order to aid the cause. She aided them in their efforts. He jumped into the water to aid the drowning child. a home run that was aided by the wind She aided the government in the attempt to fight illiteracy.

Noun

The project was completed with the aid of several students. The work was done with the aid of a computer. The government has given millions of dollars in economic aid to these nations. She applied for financial aid in order to go to college. The diagram is provided as an aid to understanding. The computer is an aid to keeping costs down. He teaches art with visual aids.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Berg said four of the five fires his department battled this spring could have been aided by the use of the helicopter crew. — Kimberly Cauvel, The Seattle Times, "Washington faces especially bad wildfire season," 28 May 2019 Christopher Polk/Getty Images All of this was aided by Kloss’s high-profile friendship with Taylor Swift. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "Karlie Kloss and Josh Kushner’s marriage adds new star power — and weirdness — to the Trump family tree," 19 Oct. 2018 Firefighters battling a brush fire that forced evacuations in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood were aided by good weather overnight, and the blaze was 40% contained early Wednesday, authorities said. — Ruben Vives, latimes.com, "Benedict Canyon fire 40% contained; fire fight aided by good weather, officials say," 13 June 2018 Nadal didn’t win the match because of the rain, but his win was definitely aided by it. — Chris Chase, For The Win, "Rain king: How Rafael Nadal used the weather to survive at the French Open," 7 June 2018 For example, Conscience of the Progressives is actually funded by conservatives and last year sent election mailers to aid Republicans in swing-district legislative races. — Joseph O’sullivan, The Seattle Times, "‘Gray money’: New Washington law to lift the cloak on PAC funders," 19 May 2019 Other charities fans gave to include Sentebale, the organization Prince Harry set up to aid children with HIV, and Myna Mahila Foundation, which provides sanitary pads and education on menstrual hygiene to women in India. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Thank Fans for Donating to Charities in Their Honor Ahead of Their Baby's Arrival," 5 Apr. 2019 Beijing has lowered reserve requirements for banks five times in little over a year, encouraging them to lend more to aid an economy that has been hit by trade tensions with the U.S. and an earlier campaign against financial risk. — Shen Hong, WSJ, "China Starts the Year With a Corporate Bond Boom," 20 Feb. 2019 Warming aromatics, including cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon, are included to aid digestion and improve peripheral circulation during the cooler months (think cold hands and feet). — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, "Meet the Eckhaus Latta–Approved Herbalist With a Prescription for Balanced Skin and Less Stress," 4 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

No More Deaths is one of several humanitarian aid groups that use The Barn as a staging area for search-and-rescue operations and for the placement of water and food along migrant trails. — Bob Ortega, CNN, "No verdict in controversial border aid case," 11 June 2019 The organization sparked the first state legislation anywhere in the United States to extend financial aid to parents of children with Cystic Fibrosis. — courant.com, "Lena M. Turkington," 5 June 2019 Humanitarian aid groups have been searching for a centralized migrant shelter to relieve some of the pressure on local churches that have been assisting migrant families. — Daniel González, azcentral, "Closed school in Phoenix may be used as a shelter for migrant families released by ICE," 4 June 2019 Direct Provision is exactly what its name indicates: a system for providing aid to people directly, in the form of room and board. — Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, "Ireland’s Strange, Cruel System for Asylum Seekers," 26 May 2019 It was issued as a ship carrying more than 40 migrants from the German aid group Sea-Watch remained off the island of Lampedusa waiting for a port to disembark its passengers. — Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, "UN tells Italy proposed decree violates migrants’ rights," 19 May 2019 Aniston enlisted the aid of #AD100 interior designer @stephenshadley to help preserve the modernist ethos of the original scheme while softening some of its sharp lines and outfitting the interior with tactile, organic finishes and furnishings. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s Former Beverly Hills Home is On The Market For $56 Million," 10 Apr. 2019 Twitter’s campaign to foster healthier conversations on its platform with the aid of academics is itself facing an allegation of anti-Trump bias. — Fox News, "Twitter brings in anti-Trump academics to combat intolerance," 2 Oct. 2018 The House passed a multibillion-dollar aid package to fund recovery efforts in areas hit by natural disasters, as Democrats move to ramp up pressure on Republicans during negotiations to reach a compromise this month. — Andrew Duehren, WSJ, "Disaster-Aid Bill’s Passage in House Kicks Off Next Phase of Negotiations," 10 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

13 Jun 2019

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The first known use of aid was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for aid

aid

verb

\ ˈād

aided; aiding

Kids Definition of aid

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to provide what is useful or necessary : help “… might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?”— J. K. Rowling, Goblet of Fire

aid

noun

Kids Definition of aid (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of helping

2 : help given The teacher sought the aid of several students for the project.

3 : someone or something that is of help or assistance The compass is an aid to navigation.

aid

noun

\ ˈād

Medical Definition of aid

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the act of helping or treating also : the help or treatment given in need of immediate medical aid

2 : an assisting person or group a laboratory aid — compare aide

3 : something by which assistance is given : an assisting device a visual aid especially : hearing aid

AID

abbreviation

Medical Definition of AID (Entry 2 of 2)

artificial insemination by donor

aid

transitive verb

Legal Definition of aid

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to provide with what is useful in achieving an end conspiracy to counsel or aid draft resisters— K. A. Cohen —often used in the phrase aid and abet — see also abet

intransitive verb

: to be of use aided in the commission of the crime