Support vs. Supporting: What's the Difference?
By Aimie Carlson & Janet White || Updated on May 22, 2024
Support is a noun or verb referring to help or assistance, while supporting is an adjective or verb form describing something that provides help or reinforcement.
Key Differences
Support is often used as a noun to describe assistance or backing, such as in "financial support." Supporting, on the other hand, is an adjective used to describe something that provides help or reinforcement, as in "supporting actor."
When used as a verb, support means to bear weight or assist, like in "They support the team." Whereas supporting as a verb describes the act of giving support, as in "She is supporting her friend."
Support can refer to the physical act of holding something up, such as "The beams support the roof." Supporting is more about providing necessary help or backing to achieve a goal, like "Supporting documents are needed for the application."
Support can also denote emotional or moral backing, as in "She gave her support during tough times." Supporting in this context would describe a role or function that provides that emotional or moral aid, like "He played a supporting role in her recovery."
In a technical context, support might refer to technical assistance or services, such as "customer support." Supporting would refer to elements that assist in these services, like "supporting software."
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Noun, Verb
Adjective, Verb
Usage as Noun
Provides help or assistance
N/A
Usage as Adjective
N/A
Describes something that helps
Example (Noun)
"She needs support."
N/A
Example (Adjective)
N/A
"A supporting actor."
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Support and Supporting Definitions
Support
Emotional or moral encouragement.
Her friends offered support during her crisis.
Supporting
Providing help or reinforcement.
The supporting documents are essential for the process.
Support
Financial aid or backing.
The charity relies on public support.
Supporting
Giving emotional or moral help.
He was always supporting her during tough times.
Support
Technical assistance.
Call the support desk for help with the software.
Supporting
Being part of a supportive structure.
Supporting beams are critical in construction.
Support
To bear the weight of, especially from below; keep from falling, sinking, or slipping
Pillars support the roof.
Supporting
Playing a secondary yet significant role.
She is a supporting character in the play.
Support
To bear or hold up (an amount of weight)
The bridge supports 10 tons.
Supporting
Providing necessary services or functions.
The supporting team ensures smooth operations.
Support
To keep from weakening or failing; give confidence or comfort to
The letter supported him in his grief.
Supporting
To bear the weight of, especially from below; keep from falling, sinking, or slipping
Pillars support the roof.
Support
To keep from falling in value, as by government purchases
A program to support the price of wheat.
Supporting
To bear or hold up (an amount of weight)
The bridge supports 10 tons.
Support
To provide for or maintain by supplying with money or necessities
The homeless shelter is supported solely by donations.
Supporting
To keep from weakening or failing; give confidence or comfort to
The letter supported him in his grief.
Support
To furnish corroborating evidence for
New facts supported her story.
Supporting
To keep from falling in value, as by government purchases
A program to support the price of wheat.
Support
To aid the cause, policy, or interests of
Supported her in her election campaign.
Supporting
To provide for or maintain by supplying with money or necessities
The homeless shelter is supported solely by donations.
Support
To argue in favor of; advocate
Supported lower taxes.
Supporting
To furnish corroborating evidence for
New facts supported her story.
Support
To have an enthusiastic interest in (a sports team).
Supporting
To aid the cause, policy, or interests of
Supported her in her election campaign.
Support
To endure; tolerate
"At supper there was such a conflux of company that I could scarcely support the tumult" (Samuel Johnson).
Supporting
To argue in favor of; advocate
Supported lower taxes.
Support
To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).
Supporting
To have an enthusiastic interest in (a sports team).
Support
To offer help or advice regarding (a product or service).
Supporting
To endure; tolerate
"At supper there was such a conflux of company that I could scarcely support the tumult" (Samuel Johnson).
Support
(Computers) To be compatible with (a program)
That operating system does not support most new applications.
Supporting
To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).
Support
The act of supporting
Our candidate needs your support.
Supporting
To offer help or advice regarding (a product or service).
Support
The state of being supported
The candidate's support has been overwhelming.
Supporting
(Computers) To be compatible with (a program)
That operating system does not support most new applications.
Support
One that supports
How many supports does the bridge have?.
Supporting
The act of supporting
Our candidate needs your support.
Support
The provision of money or the necessities of life
Child support.
Supporting
The state of being supported
The candidate's support has been overwhelming.
Support
Help or advice offered to those encountering difficulties with a product or service.
Supporting
One that supports
How many supports does the bridge have?.
Support
(transitive) To keep from falling.
Don’t move that beam! It supports the whole platform.
Supporting
The provision of money or the necessities of life
Child support.
Support
(transitive) To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they support it?
Supporting
Help or advice offered to those encountering difficulties with a product or service.
Support
(transitive) To back a cause, party, etc., mentally or with concrete aid.
I support France in the World Cup.
Supporting
That supports.
Support
(transitive) To help, particularly financially.
The government supports the arts in several ways.
Supporting
Present participle of support
Support
To verify; to make good; to substantiate; to establish; to sustain.
The testimony is not sufficient to support the charges.
The evidence will not support the statements or allegations.
Supporting
That which supports something else; a support.
Support
(transitive) To serve, as in a customer-oriented mindset; to give support to.
The IT Department supports the research organization, but not the sales force.
I don't make decisions, but I support those who do.
Supporting
The act of bearing the weight of or strengthening;
He leaned against the wall for support
Support
(transitive) To be designed (said of machinery, electronics, or computers, or their parts, accessories, peripherals, or programming) to function compatibly with or provide the capacity for.
Early personal computers did not support voice-recognition hardware or software.
Supporting
Furnishing support and encouragement;
The anxious child needs supporting and accepting treatment from the teacher
Support
(transitive) To be accountable for, or involved with, but not responsible for.
I support the administrative activities of the executive branch of the organization.
Supporting
Capable of bearing a structural load;
A supporting wall
Support
(archaic) To endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; to tolerate.
Support
To assume and carry successfully, as the part of an actor; to represent or act; to sustain.
To support the character of King Lear
Support
Something which supports.
Don't move that beam! It's a support for the whole platform.
Support
Financial or other help.
The government provides support to the arts in several ways.
Support
Answers to questions and resolution of problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they provide support?
Support
(mathematics) in relation to a function, the set of points where the function is not zero, or the closure of that set.
Support
(fuzzy set theory) A set whose elements are at least partially included in a given fuzzy set (i.e., whose grade of membership in that fuzzy set is strictly greater than zero).
If the membership function of a fuzzy set is continuous, then that fuzzy set's support is an open set.
Support
Evidence.
The new research provides further support for our theory.
Support
(computing) Compatibility and functionality for a given product or feature.
This game has no mouse support.
Support
An actor playing a subordinate part with a star.
Support
An accompaniment in music.
Support
(gymnastics) support position
Support
(structural analysis) Horizontal, vertical or rotational support of structures: movable, hinged, fixed. en
Support
To bear by being under; to keep from falling; to uphold; to sustain, in a literal or physical sense; to prop up; to bear the weight of; as, a pillar supports a structure; an abutment supports an arch; the trunk of a tree supports the branches.
Support
To endure without being overcome, exhausted, or changed in character; to sustain; as, to support pain, distress, or misfortunes.
This fierce demeanor and his insolenceThe patience of a god could not support.
Support
To keep from failing or sinking; to solace under affictive circumstances; to assist; to encourage; to defend; as, to support the courage or spirits.
Support
To assume and carry successfully, as the part of an actor; to represent or act; to sustain; as, to support the character of King Lear.
Support
To furnish with the means of sustenance or livelihood; to maintain; to provide for; as, to support a family; to support the ministers of the gospel.
Support
To carry on; to enable to continue; to maintain; as, to support a war or a contest; to support an argument or a debate.
Support
To verify; to make good; to substantiate; to establish; to sustain; as, the testimony is not sufficient to support the charges; the evidence will not support the statements or allegations.
To urge such arguments, as though they were sufficient to support and demonstrate a whole scheme of moral philosophy.
Support
To vindicate; to maintain; to defend successfully; as, to be able to support one's own cause.
Support
To uphold by aid or countenance; to aid; to help; to back up; as, to support a friend or a party; to support the present administration.
Wherefore, bold pleasant,Darest thou support a published traitor?
Support
A attend as an honorary assistant; as, a chairman supported by a vice chairman; O'Connell left the prison, supported by his two sons.
Support
The act, state, or operation of supporting, upholding, or sustaining.
Support
That which upholds, sustains, or keeps from falling, as a prop, a pillar, or a foundation of any kind.
Support
That which maintains or preserves from being overcome, falling, yielding, sinking, giving way, or the like; subsistence; maintenance; assistance; reënforcement; as, he gave his family a good support, the support of national credit; the assaulting column had the support of a battery.
Support
The activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities;
His support kept the family together
They gave him emotional support during difficult times
Support
Aiding the cause or policy or interests of;
The president no longer had the support of his own party
They developed a scheme of mutual support
Support
Something providing immaterial support or assistance to a person or cause or interest;
The policy found little public support
His faith was all the support he needed
The team enjoyed the support of their fans
Support
A military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission;
They called for artillery support
Support
Documentary validation;
His documentation of the results was excellent
The strongest support for this this view is the work of Jones
Support
The financial means whereby one lives;
Each child was expected to pay for their keep
He applied to the state for support
He could no longer earn his own livelihood
Support
Supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation;
The statue stood on a marble support
Support
The act of bearing the weight of or strengthening;
He leaned against the wall for support
Support
A subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts
Support
Any device that bears the weight of another thing;
There was no place to attach supports for a shelf
Support
Financial resources provided to make some project possible;
The foundation provided support for the experiment
Support
Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to;
She supported him during the illness
Her children always backed her up
Support
Support materially or financially;
He does not support his natural children
The scholarship supported me when I was in college
Support
Be behind; approve of;
He plumped for the Labor Party
I backed Kennedy in 1960
Support
Be the physical support of; carry the weight of;
The beam holds up the roof
He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam
What's holding that mirror?
Support
Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;
His story confirmed my doubts
The evidence supports the defendant
Support
Adopt as a belief;
I subscribe to your view on abortion
Support
Support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm;
The stories and claims were born out by the evidence
Support
Argue or speak in defense of;
She supported the motion to strike
Support
Play a subordinate role to (another performer);
Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act
Support
Be a regular customer or client of;
We patronize this store
Our sponsor kept our art studio going for as long as he could
Support
Put up with something or somebody unpleasant;
I cannot bear his constant criticism
The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks
He learned to tolerate the heat
She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage
Support
Help or assistance provided.
They need support to complete the project.
Support
A structure that holds up weight.
The pillar provides support to the roof.
FAQs
Can support be used as an adjective?
No, support is not typically used as an adjective; supporting is used instead.
Can supporting be used as a noun?
No, supporting is not used as a noun.
Is support used in technical contexts?
Yes, it often refers to technical assistance, like in "customer support."
Can support be used to describe financial aid?
Yes, support can describe financial aid or backing.
Is supporting always related to a secondary role?
Not always; it can describe any act of providing help or reinforcement.
Can support refer to physical structures?
Yes, support can refer to physical structures that hold weight, like beams.
What is the primary difference between support and supporting?
Support is mainly a noun or verb, while supporting is primarily an adjective or a verb form.
Is supporting used in legal documents?
Yes, supporting documents are often necessary in legal processes.
Is support used in medical contexts?
Yes, it can refer to various forms of assistance, including emotional support.
Is support used in the context of relationships?
Yes, support can refer to providing emotional or moral backing in relationships.
Does support have multiple meanings?
Yes, it can mean help, financial aid, technical assistance, or physical bearing.
Is support always positive?
Generally, yes, it denotes help or assistance, which is usually positive.
Is support used in educational contexts?
Yes, it can refer to resources or assistance provided to students.
Does supporting always imply assistance?
Generally, yes, supporting implies some form of assistance or reinforcement.
Can supporting be used to describe a job function?
Yes, many job roles are described as supporting functions within an organization.
Does support have an emotional connotation?
Yes, support can refer to emotional or moral encouragement.
Can supporting describe a person's role in a team?
Yes, a supporting role often describes someone assisting the main players.
Can supporting be used in sports?
Yes, supporting players provide essential backup to the main team members.
Can supporting describe infrastructure?
Yes, supporting can describe parts of infrastructure that reinforce or aid the main structure.
Can supporting be used to describe documents?
Yes, supporting documents are additional papers that provide backup information.
About Author
Written by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
Co-written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
