støtte

Støtte is a Norwegian noun meaning support, backing, or assistance, and a verb meaning to support, back, or endorse. The term covers both tangible forms that bear weight or provide stability and intangible ones such as emotional encouragement or financial aid. It is used in everyday language and in specialized domains including welfare, healthcare, education, engineering, and politics.

Etimologically, støtt e derives from Old Norse stoð, and is cognate with Danish støtte and other Scandinavian terms for support. The word forms a productive basis for many compounds, such as bostøtte (housing support) or forskningsstøtte (research funding) in Norwegian.

Støtte can be physical, such as a structural brace, a prop, or underlay that bears weight. It can be social or emotional, meaning encouragement, reassurance, or a network of people offering help. It can be financial, including subsidies, allowances, grants, or housing and welfare benefits provided by government, organizations, or employers. It also appears in institutional contexts as support programs or policy measures designed to assist individuals, communities, or projects.

In use, stø te is often expressed with verbs like gi støtte (give support), få støtte (receive support), eller støtte en sak (endorse someone or a cause). In technical fields, støtte refers to a structural element that bears load. The term is neutral and widely applicable in public discourse as well as private life.