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Support vs Prevent - What's the difference?

support | prevent |

In lang=en terms the difference between support and prevent

is that support is to be accountable for, or involved with, but not responsible for while prevent is to stop; to keep (from happening).

As verbs the difference between support and prevent

is that support is (senseid)to keep from falling while prevent is to stop; to keep (from happening).

As a noun support

is something which supports often used attributively, as a complement or supplement to.

support

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Something which supports. Often used attributively, as a complement or supplement to.
    • Don't move that beam! It's a support for the whole platform.
  • Financial or other help.
    • The government provides support to the arts in several ways.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 19 , author=Kerry Brown , title=Kim Jong-il obituary , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=Kim was educated at the newly founded university in Pyongyang, named after his father, graduating in 1964. The 1960s and early 1970s were the golden years for the DPRK. It undertook rapid industrialisation, economically outstripped its southern competitor, and enjoyed the support of both the People's Republic of China, and the Soviet Union.}}
  • Answers to questions and resolution of problems regarding something sold.
    • Sure they sell the product, but do they provide support ?
  • (mathematics) in relation to a function, the set of points where the function is not zero, or the closure of that set.
  • * 2004 , Amara Graps, An Introduction to Wavelets''] — [http://www.amara.com/IEEEwave/IW_history.html ''Historical Perspective
    • The first mention of wavelets appeared in an appendix to the thesis of A. Haar (1909). One property of the Haar wavelet is that it has compact support, which means that it vanishes outside of a finite interval. Unfortunately, Haar wavelets are not continuously differentiable which somewhat limits their applications.
  • (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.

    Antonyms

    * (mathematics) kernel

    Derived terms

    * moral support * combat support (military) * support group

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (senseid)To keep from falling.
    • Don’t move that beam! It supports the whole platform.
  • To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.
    • Sure they sell the product, but do they support it?
  • To back a cause, party etc. mentally or with concrete aid.
    • I support France in the World Cup
  • To help, particularly financially.
    • The government supports the arts in several ways.
  • 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.
  • * J. Edwards
    • to urge such arguments, as though they were sufficient to support and demonstrate a whole scheme of moral philosophy
  • 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: I just support those who do.
  • To be accountable for, or involved with, but not responsible for.
    • I support the administrative activities of the executive branch of the organization
  • (archaic) To endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; to tolerate.
  • * Dryden
    • This fierce demeanour and his insolence / The patience of a god could not support .
  • * 1881 , :
    • For a strong affection such moments are worth supporting , and they will end well; for your advocate is in your lover's heart and speaks her own language
  • To assume and carry successfully, as the part of an actor; to represent or act; to sustain.
    • to support the character of King Lear

    Antonyms

    * oppose

    Derived terms

    * supportable * supported * supportive

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    prevent

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stop; to keep (from happening).
    • I brushed my teeth to prevent them from going yellow.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Tom Fordyce , title=Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Scotland must now hope Georgia produce a huge upset and beat Argentina by at least eight points in Sunday's final Pool B match to prevent them failing to make the last eight for the first time in World Cup history.}}
  • * 1897 , Henry James, What Maisie Knew :
    • ‘I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent !’
  • (obsolete) To come before; to precede.
  • * Bible, 1 Thess. iv. 15
    • We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  • * Book of Common Prayer
    • We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.
  • * Prior
    • Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.
  • (obsolete) To outdo, surpass.
  • * 1596 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , IV.i:
    • With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.
  • (obsolete) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • their ready guilt preventing thy commands

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * preventative * prevention * preventive