aided; aiding; aids
: to provide with what is useful or necessary in achieving an end
aid a cause
aid a friend
: to give assistance
research that aided in the discovery of a new drug
aider
noun
1
a
: 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
2
a
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 also 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 their lord
1
Agency for International Development
2
artificial insemination by donor
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
The Npr Network, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
In the race for Virginia attorney general candidate, for instance, Republicans have spent more on aiding GOP nominee Jason Miyares in the final weeks than on the governor's race.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Nurith Aizenman, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Sherrill will inherit a state budget that swelled under Murphy, who delivered on promises to fund the public worker pension fund and a K-12 school aid formula after years of neglect under previous governors, by high income taxes on the wealthy.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aid
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The governor is tapping unspent funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the federal program that aids low-income families with children.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
In the race for Virginia attorney general candidate, for instance, Republicans have spent more on aiding GOP nominee Jason Miyares in the final weeks than on the governor's race.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Still, there was no universal standard to define the severity of hunger crises — making coordination among donors and aid groups difficult.
—Nurith Aizenman, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Sherrill will inherit a state budget that swelled under Murphy, who delivered on promises to fund the public worker pension fund and a K-12 school aid formula after years of neglect under previous governors, by high income taxes on the wealthy.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aid
Cite this Entry
“Aid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aid. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aid
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the act of helping
b
: help given : assistance
2
3
: someone or something that is of help or assistance
a visual aid
Medical Definition
aid
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
2 of 2 abbreviation
artificial insemination by donor
Legal Definition
aid
1 of 2 transitive verb
: 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
K. A. Cohen
: to be of use
aided in the commission of the crime
aider
noun
aid
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of aiding
render aid to the principal
2
: help given
especially
: tangible means of assistance (as money or supplies)
aid to the disabled
giving aid and comfort to the enemy
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