supports; supported; supporting
1
a
: to agree with or approve of (someone or something)
I completely support your decision to stay.
She no longer supports the war.
The senator says that he supports the proposed legislation.
Which presidential candidate do you support?
The study is supported by the American Medical Association.
b
: to show that you approve of (someone or something) by doing something
The country's citizens were asked to support the war effort.
Her friends supported her by signing her petition.
2
a
: to give help or assistance to (someone or something)
The charity supports needy families.
Bombers were called in to support the ground troops.
b
: to provide what is needed by (someone or something)
The planet's atmosphere cannot support human life.
This computer does not support that software. [=you cannot use that software on this computer]
c
: to provide the money that is needed by or for (someone or something)
He works two jobs to support his family.
She has two children to support.
We support the charity by making annual donations.
The foundation supports cancer research.
The theater is supported by donations.
She sold illegal drugs to support her own drug habit.
3
: to hold (something or someone) up : to stop (something or someone) from falling down
Thick cables help support the bridge.
The roof is supported by thick wooden pillars throughout the house.
She supported herself on my arm as we walked together.
He supports himself with a cane.
4
: to provide evidence for (something) : to help show that (something) is true
His alibi is supported by his neighbors.
The results of the study support her theory.
Their claims are not supported by the evidence.
5
chiefly British
: to be a fan of (a sports team)
She supports both teams.
plural supports
1
: the act of showing that you believe that someone or something is good or acceptable : approval of someone or something
The proposal has had little public support. [=few people have supported the proposal]
The team gets a lot of support from its fans.
The candidate is gaining support among young voters. [=many more young voters say they will vote for the candidate]
—often + forThere isn't much support for the proposal.
You can show your support for our cause by wearing one of these red ribbons.
2
a
: the act of helping someone by giving love, encouragement, etc.
I'd like to thank my parents for all of their love and support over the years.
He depended on his wife for emotional support.
We all came along to give her moral support. [=to give her encouragement]
b
: help that is given in the form of money or other valuable things
He applied for financial support from the state.
They had no means of support [=source of income] after they lost their farm.
c
: the act of helping someone by giving information or services
She was having trouble connecting to the Internet, so she called technical/tech support [=a department or person that helps people with computer problems] for assistance.
the company's friendly support staff
3
a
: something that holds a person or thing up and stops that person or thing from falling down
Inspectors found that some of the bridge's supports were weak.
She used my arm as a support and limped to the chair.
b
: the act of holding something up
These sneakers are designed to give your feet extra support.
—often used after forHe grabbed the railing for support.
4
: evidence which shows that something is true
The results of the study give further support to the hypothesis.
The police continue to gather support for their case.
Cite this Entry
“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/support. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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