Support

Support refers to assistance, backing, or a foundation that enables a person, group, idea, or structure to endure, progress, or bear weight. It can be tangible, such as physical props, or intangible, such as emotional encouragement or institutional endorsement.

Emotional support involves empathy, reassurance, and companionship. Practical support includes help with tasks, transportation, or errands. Financial support covers monetary aid or provision of resources. Social support arises from networks of family, friends, peers, or communities that provide aid or validation.

In architecture and engineering, a support is any component that carries loads and stabilizes a structure, such as columns, beams, braces, or foundation elements. Proper supports distribute stress and prevent deformation or collapse. In construction, temporary supports during assembly are often called shoring or bracing.

In mathematics, the term support has several meanings; most commonly, it denotes the closure of the set where a function is nonzero. In probability, the support is the set of values that a random variable can assume. In computing, support refers to customer or technical help provided by a company.

Legal and policy uses include child support and spousal support, which are duties to provide financial maintenance. Governments may offer social or economic support programs to individuals and communities to reduce hardship or promote welfare.