Support vs. Encourage — What's the Difference?

To bear the weight of, especially from below; keep from falling, sinking, or slipping

To inspire with hope, courage, or confidence.

To bear or hold up (an amount of weight)

To give support to; foster

To keep from weakening or failing; give confidence or comfort to

To stimulate; spur

To keep from falling in value, as by government purchases

To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.

To provide for or maintain by supplying with money or necessities

To spur on, strongly recommend.

To furnish corroborating evidence for

To foster, give help or patronage

To aid the cause, policy, or interests of

To give courage to; to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope; to raise, or to increase, the confidence of; to animate; enhearten; to incite; to help forward; - the opposite of discourage.

To argue in favor of; advocate

Contribute to the progress or growth of;

To have an enthusiastic interest in (a sports team).

Inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to

To endure; tolerate

Spur on;

To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).

To offer help or advice regarding (a product or service).

(Computers) To be compatible with (a program)

The act of supporting

The state of being supported

One that supports

The provision of money or the necessities of life

Help or advice offered to those encountering difficulties with a product or service.

(transitive) To keep from falling.

(transitive) To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.

(transitive) To back a cause, party, etc., mentally or with concrete aid.

(transitive) To help, particularly financially.

To verify; to make good; to substantiate; to establish; to sustain.

(transitive) To serve, as in a customer-oriented mindset; to give support to.

(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.

(transitive) To be accountable for, or involved with, but not responsible for.

(archaic) To endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; to tolerate.

To assume and carry successfully, as the part of an actor; to represent or act; to sustain.

Something which supports.

Financial or other help.

Answers to questions and resolution of problems regarding something sold.

(mathematics) in relation to a function, the set of points where the function is not zero, or the closure of that set.

(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).

Evidence.

(computing) Compatibility and functionality for a given product or feature.

An actor playing a subordinate part with a star.

An accompaniment in music.

(gymnastics) support position

(structural analysis) Horizontal, vertical or rotational support of structures: movable, hinged, fixed. en

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.

To endure without being overcome, exhausted, or changed in character; to sustain; as, to support pain, distress, or misfortunes.

To keep from failing or sinking; to solace under affictive circumstances; to assist; to encourage; to defend; as, to support the courage or spirits.

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.

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.

To carry on; to enable to continue; to maintain; as, to support a war or a contest; to support an argument or a debate.

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 vindicate; to maintain; to defend successfully; as, to be able to support one's own cause.

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.

A attend as an honorary assistant; as, a chairman supported by a vice chairman; O'Connell left the prison, supported by his two sons.

The act, state, or operation of supporting, upholding, or sustaining.

That which upholds, sustains, or keeps from falling, as a prop, a pillar, or a foundation of any kind.

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.

The activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities;

Aiding the cause or policy or interests of;

Something providing immaterial support or assistance to a person or cause or interest;

A military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission;

Documentary validation;

The financial means whereby one lives;

Supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation;

The act of bearing the weight of or strengthening;

A subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts

Any device that bears the weight of another thing;

Financial resources provided to make some project possible;

Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to;

Support materially or financially;

Be behind; approve of;

Be the physical support of; carry the weight of;

Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;

Adopt as a belief;

Support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm;

Argue or speak in defense of;

Play a subordinate role to (another performer);

Be a regular customer or client of;

Put up with something or somebody unpleasant;