Assist vs. Support: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Assist" typically means to provide help or aid, often in a more hands-on or direct way, while "Support" involves providing backing, approval, or encouragement, and can be more indirect or emotional.
Key Differences
Assist often implies actively helping someone to accomplish a task, involving direct action or intervention. Support, on the other hand, can include providing resources, encouragement, or conditions that make it easier for someone to do something, without direct involvement.
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Nov 14, 2023
When you assist someone, you are usually engaged in the task alongside them, offering practical help. Support can be less visible, involving emotional backing or creating an environment conducive to success.
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Assist is often used in contexts where immediate, tangible help is provided, such as in physical tasks or problem-solving. Support can be more long-term, such as moral support or financial backing.
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In a professional setting, to assist might mean to work under someone to help them achieve their objectives. To support could mean endorsing their ideas and providing the necessary resources or approval.
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In essence, while assist is more about doing something helpful, support is often about being there for someone, whether through resources, moral backing, or endorsement.
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Nov 14, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Nature of Action
Direct, hands-on help
Indirect aid, often emotional or logistical
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Visibility
Usually visible, active participation
Often behind-the-scenes or less visible
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Contexts
Practical tasks, immediate problem-solving
Emotional, moral, or resource-based backing
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Professional Use
Working alongside or under someone
Providing resources, approval, or endorsement
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Assist and Support Definitions
Assist
To help someone in completing a task.
She assisted her friend in moving the furniture.
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Support
To endorse or approve of someone or something.
The community supports the new environmental policy.
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Assist
To make something easier or possible for someone.
The tutorial assists users in understanding the software.
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Support
To uphold or defend as valid or right.
The lawyer supports his argument with evidence.
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Assist
To provide aid in a supportive role.
The nurse assisted the doctor during the surgery.
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Support
To bear the weight of, especially from below; keep from falling, sinking, or slipping
Pillars support the roof.
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Assist
To intervene with help or support.
The coach assisted the team with strategic advice.
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Support
To bear or hold up (an amount of weight)
The bridge supports 10 tons.
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Assist
To contribute effort to a shared goal or project.
Volunteers assist in cleaning the community park.
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Support
To keep from weakening or failing; give confidence or comfort to
The letter supported him in his grief.
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Assist
To give help or support to, especially as a subordinate or supplement; aid
The clerk assisted the judge by looking up related precedents. Her breathing was assisted by a respirator.
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Support
To keep from falling in value, as by government purchases
A program to support the price of wheat.
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Support
To provide for or maintain by supplying with money or necessities
The homeless shelter is supported solely by donations.
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Assist
To be present, as at a conference
"Mr. Dick had regularly assisted at our councils, with a meditative and sage demeanor. He never made a suggestion but once" (Charles Dickens).
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Support
To furnish corroborating evidence for
New facts supported her story.
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Assist
The act of giving aid; help
Cleaned the garage with the assist of a friend.
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Support
To aid the cause, policy, or interests of
Supported her in her election campaign.
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Assist
A fielding and throwing of a baseball in such a way that enables a teammate to put out a runner.
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Assist
A pass, as in basketball or ice hockey, that enables the receiver to score.
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Support
To endure; tolerate
"At supper there was such a conflux of company that I could scarcely support the tumult" (Samuel Johnson).
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Support
To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).
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Assist
(medicine) To help compensate for what is missing with the help of a medical technique or therapy.
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Support
(Computers) To be compatible with (a program)
That operating system does not support most new applications.
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Assist
(archaic) To stand (at a place) or to (an opinion).
A great part of the nobility assisted to his opinion.
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Support
The state of being supported
The candidate's support has been overwhelming.
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Assist
A helpful action or an act of giving.
The foundation gave a much needed assist to the shelter.
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Support
Help or advice offered to those encountering difficulties with a product or service.
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Assist
(baseball) A defensive play, allowing a teammate to record a putout.
He had two assists in the game.
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Support
(transitive) To keep from falling.
Don’t move that beam! It supports the whole platform.
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Assist
To give support to in some undertaking or effort, or in time of distress; to help; to aid; to succor.
Assist me, knight. I am undone!
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Support
(transitive) To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they support it?
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Assist
To lend aid; to help.
With God not parted from him, as was feared,But favoring and assisting to the end.
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Support
(transitive) To back a cause, party, etc., mentally or with concrete aid.
I support France in the World Cup.
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Support
(transitive) To help, particularly financially.
The government supports the arts in several ways.
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Assist
The activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose;
He gave me an assist with the housework
Could not walk without assistance
Rescue party went to their aid
Offered his help in unloading
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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.
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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.
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Assist
Give help or assistance; be of service;
Everyone helped out during the earthquake
Can you help me carry this table?
She never helps around the house
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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.
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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.
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Assist
Work for or be a servant to;
May I serve you?
She attends the old lady in the wheelchair
Can you wait on our table, please?
Is a salesperson assisting you?
The minister served the King for many years
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Support
(archaic) To endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; to tolerate.
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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
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Support
Something which supports.
Don't move that beam! It's a support for the whole platform.
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Support
Financial or other help.
The government provides support to the arts in several ways.
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Support
Answers to questions and resolution of problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they provide support?
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Support
(mathematics) in relation to a function, the set of points where the function is not zero, or the closure of that set.
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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.
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Support
(computing) Compatibility and functionality for a given product or feature.
This game has no mouse support.
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Support
(structural analysis) Horizontal, vertical or rotational support of structures: movable, hinged, fixed. en
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Support
To vindicate; to maintain; to defend successfully; as, to be able to support one's own cause.
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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?
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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.
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Support
The act, state, or operation of supporting, upholding, or sustaining.
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Support
That which upholds, sustains, or keeps from falling, as a prop, a pillar, or a foundation of any kind.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Support
Documentary validation;
His documentation of the results was excellent
The strongest support for this this view is the work of Jones
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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
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Support
Supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation;
The statue stood on a marble support
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Support
The act of bearing the weight of or strengthening;
He leaned against the wall for support
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Support
A subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts
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Support
Any device that bears the weight of another thing;
There was no place to attach supports for a shelf
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Support
Financial resources provided to make some project possible;
The foundation provided support for the experiment
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Support
Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to;
She supported him during the illness
Her children always backed her up
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Support
Support materially or financially;
He does not support his natural children
The scholarship supported me when I was in college
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Support
Be behind; approve of;
He plumped for the Labor Party
I backed Kennedy in 1960
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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?
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Support
Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;
His story confirmed my doubts
The evidence supports the defendant
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Support
Support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm;
The stories and claims were born out by the evidence
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Support
Play a subordinate role to (another performer);
Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act
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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
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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
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Support
To bear the weight of something, holding it up.
The pillars support the weight of the bridge.
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Support
To provide emotional or moral encouragement.
His family supported him through his challenges.
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Support
To sustain or keep going, often financially.
The grant supports her research.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can "assist" and "support" be used interchangeably?
They are similar but not always interchangeable; "assist" implies direct help, while "support" can be more indirect.
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Is "assist" used in professional contexts?
Yes, it often refers to helping in a work or task-oriented setting.
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Can "support" be financial?
Absolutely, providing financial resources is a common form of support.
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Is "assist" more physical than "support"?
Often, yes. "Assist" usually involves physical or direct action, while "support" can be emotional or logistical.
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Can "support" be emotional?
Yes, support often includes emotional or moral encouragement.
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Can "support" be non-physical?
Yes, it can be non-physical, like emotional or moral backing.
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Is "assist" often used in a subordinate role?
It can imply a supportive or subordinate role in a task.
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Can "assist" be informal?
Yes, it can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
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Can "assist" involve teaching?
Yes, assisting can include teaching or guiding someone.
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Is "support" always positive?
It's usually positive, implying backing or encouragement.
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Can "assist" be used in emergencies?
Yes, it's often used in contexts requiring immediate help.
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Does "support" require physical presence?
Not necessarily, support can be provided remotely or emotionally.
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Does "assist" imply a shorter duration of help?
Typically, it's more short-term and task-focused than support.
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Does "support" imply agreement or endorsement?
Yes, it often implies agreement, approval, or endorsement.
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Is "assist" limited to physical tasks?
No, it can also involve intellectual or emotional assistance.
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Can "support" be a long-term commitment?
Yes, support can be ongoing, such as in relationships or projects.
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Can "support" be silent?
Yes, support can be silent, like providing resources without fanfare.
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Is "support" a broader term than "assist"?
Generally, yes. Support can encompass a wider range of actions.
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Is "assist" more active than "support"?
Typically, assist is more actively involved in the task at hand.
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Is "assist" used more in temporary situations?
Generally, it's more common in temporary or specific situations.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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