child support

noun

Definition of child support

: payment for the support of the children of divorced or separated parents while the children are minors or as otherwise legally required — compare alimony

Examples of child support in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cabrera's lawyer also argues that his client has voluntarily given Rodriguez plenty in child support for their son and daughter, without a court order. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, "Miguel Cabrera, ex-mistress headed to trial over child support in November," 22 May 2018 Topics will include whether the agency needs a new child support computer system, which was one of the issues former director Mary Beth Bonaventura raised in a stinging resignation letter. — Tony Cook, Indianapolis Star, "Sports betting, medical marijuana among topics Indiana lawmakers will study," 15 May 2018 People arrested for disorderly person offenses, traffic citations, or failure to pay child support were among those who were strip-searched, even in cases where they were detained only for a few hours while waiting to post bail. — Jan Hefler, Philly.com, "Some 14,000 inmates were illegally strip-searched in Burlington County. Their court case settles for $2.4 million," 12 Apr. 2018 Some noncustodial parents pay child support directly to the mothers or fathers who have custody of the children. — Joshua Miller, BostonGlobe.com, "Forget what you thought about rooftop solar and consider these seven things instead," 11 Apr. 2018 The event will also offer help with legal matters, including expunction of criminal records, immigration, child support and landlord/tenant concerns. — Brian Rogers, Houston Chronicle, "Harris DA to host Make it Right event to resolve open misdemeanor warrants," 13 July 2018 In April, officials said the personal information of thousands who pay child support was inadvertently sent to companies that do not employ them. — Joshua Miller, BostonGlobe.com, "Top official at revenue agency quietly departs," 7 June 2018 Federal law allows garnishment of up to 50% on child support. — James Agnew, USA TODAY, "Dealing with debt: Understanding wage garnishment and how to avoid it," 12 Apr. 2018 According to the sheriff’s office, Hovis owes more than $30,000 in child support, too. — Fleming Smith, ajc, "Sheriff’s Facebook post admonishes man who allegedly owes $30K in child support," 22 June 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near child support

children of light

children should be seen and not heard

Statistics for child support

Last Updated

14 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for child support

The first known use of child support was in 1901

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More Definitions for child support

child support

noun

English Language Learners Definition of child support

: money that a former husband or wife must pay regularly to help raise a child

See the full definition for child support in the English Language Learners Dictionary

child support

noun

Legal Definition of child support

: payment made for the support of the children of divorced or separated parents while the children are minors or until they reach an age set by the separation agreement or in a court order — compare alimony

Note: Child support is usually paid by the parent who is without custody. In the case of joint custody, both parents usually pay child support.