Facilitate vs. Support — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 30, 2023
Facilitate means making an action or process easier; support implies providing help or assistance to uphold or bear.
Difference Between Facilitate and Support
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Facilitate generally involves making processes or actions easier or less difficult, removing obstacles or reducing complications. Conversely, support involves offering help, assistance, or reinforcement, where backing, either emotionally, physically, or financially, is provided.
Facilitate primarily focuses on the ease of action, aiming to simplify complex mechanisms or to expedite slow procedures. Support, on the other hand, can manifest as endorsing, maintaining, or sustaining, giving strength or bolstering according to the need.
In a learning environment, to facilitate means to create conditions that enhance learning, making assimilation of knowledge smoother. To support in the same context means to provide the necessary help or resources, ensuring that the learners can successfully acquire knowledge.
While facilitating centers around enabling and streamlining, creating conducive environments for activities to occur more efficiently, supporting is more about being a backbone, offering strength, assistance, and encouragement to someone or something.
In summation, facilitate is about creating conditions that make a task or activity easier to perform, while support is about providing strength and assistance to help someone carry out a task or withstand a situation.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Making an action or process easy
Providing help or reinforcement
Focus
Ease of action
Offering strength or assistance
Usage Context
Enabling and streamlining
Backing and bolstering
Requirement
Involves proactive contribution
Can be passive or active
Emotional Connection
Typically more task-oriented
Can imply emotional backing
Compare with Definitions
Facilitate
To lead a group in a discussion or process.
He will facilitate the meeting to ensure all voices are heard.
Support
To sustain or withstand.
He supports his arguments with factual evidence.
Facilitate
To make easier or less difficult.
Teachers facilitate learning by providing clear instructions.
Support
To provide for; to supply with necessities.
The charity supports the needs of the homeless.
Facilitate
To free from difficulties or obstacles.
Proper equipment facilitates the completion of projects.
Support
To bear the weight of, especially from below; keep from falling, sinking, or slipping
Pillars support the roof.
Facilitate
To simplify the complexity of a process or task.
Online banking services facilitate financial transactions.
Support
To bear or hold up (an amount of weight)
The bridge supports 10 tons.
Facilitate
To assist the progress of.
The new software facilitates quick data analysis.
Support
To keep from weakening or failing; give confidence or comfort to
The letter supported him in his grief.
Facilitate
To make easy or easier
Political agreements that facilitated troop withdrawals.
Support
To keep from falling in value, as by government purchases
A program to support the price of wheat.
Facilitate
To lead (a discussion), as by asking questions, mediating between opposing viewpoints, or ensuring that all participants' views are heard.
Support
To provide for or maintain by supplying with money or necessities
The homeless shelter is supported solely by donations.
Facilitate
To make easy or easier.
Support
To furnish corroborating evidence for
New facts supported her story.
Facilitate
To help bring about.
Support
To aid the cause, policy, or interests of
Supported her in her election campaign.
Facilitate
To preside over (a meeting, a seminar).
Support
To argue in favor of; advocate
Supported lower taxes.
Facilitate
To make easy or less difficult; to free from difficulty or impediment; to lessen the labor of; as, to facilitate the execution of a task.
To invite and facilitate that line of proceeding which the times call for.
Support
To have an enthusiastic interest in (a sports team).
Facilitate
Make easier;
You could facilitate the process by sharing your knowledge
Support
To endure; tolerate
"At supper there was such a conflux of company that I could scarcely support the tumult" (Samuel Johnson).
Facilitate
Be of use;
This will help to prevent accidents
Support
To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).
Facilitate
Physiology: increase the likelihood of (a response);
The stimulus facilitates a delayed impulse
Support
To offer help or advice regarding (a product or service).
Support
(Computers) To be compatible with (a program)
That operating system does not support most new applications.
Support
The act of supporting
Our candidate needs your support.
Support
The state of being supported
The candidate's support has been overwhelming.
Support
One that supports
How many supports does the bridge have?.
Support
The provision of money or the necessities of life
Child support.
Support
Help or advice offered to those encountering difficulties with a product or service.
Support
(transitive) To keep from falling.
Don’t move that beam! It supports the whole platform.
Support
(transitive) To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they support it?
Support
(transitive) To back a cause, party, etc., mentally or with concrete aid.
I support France in the World Cup.
Support
(transitive) To help, particularly financially.
The government supports the arts in several ways.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Support
(archaic) To endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; to tolerate.
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
Support
Something which supports.
Don't move that beam! It's a support for the whole platform.
Support
Financial or other help.
The government provides support to the arts in several ways.
Support
Answers to questions and resolution of problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they provide support?
Support
(mathematics) in relation to a function, the set of points where the function is not zero, or the closure of that set.
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.
Support
Evidence.
The new research provides further support for our theory.
Support
(computing) Compatibility and functionality for a given product or feature.
This game has no mouse support.
Support
An actor playing a subordinate part with a star.
Support
An accompaniment in music.
Support
(gymnastics) support position
Support
(structural analysis) Horizontal, vertical or rotational support of structures: movable, hinged, fixed. en
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Support
To vindicate; to maintain; to defend successfully; as, to be able to support one's own cause.
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?
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.
Support
The act, state, or operation of supporting, upholding, or sustaining.
Support
That which upholds, sustains, or keeps from falling, as a prop, a pillar, or a foundation of any kind.
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.
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
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
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
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
Support
Documentary validation;
His documentation of the results was excellent
The strongest support for this this view is the work of Jones
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
Support
Supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation;
The statue stood on a marble support
Support
The act of bearing the weight of or strengthening;
He leaned against the wall for support
Support
A subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts
Support
Any device that bears the weight of another thing;
There was no place to attach supports for a shelf
Support
Financial resources provided to make some project possible;
The foundation provided support for the experiment
Support
Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to;
She supported him during the illness
Her children always backed her up
Support
Support materially or financially;
He does not support his natural children
The scholarship supported me when I was in college
Support
Be behind; approve of;
He plumped for the Labor Party
I backed Kennedy in 1960
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?
Support
Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;
His story confirmed my doubts
The evidence supports the defendant
Support
Adopt as a belief;
I subscribe to your view on abortion
Support
Support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm;
The stories and claims were born out by the evidence
Support
Argue or speak in defense of;
She supported the motion to strike
Support
Play a subordinate role to (another performer);
Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act
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
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
Support
To bear or hold up.
The columns support the weight of the building.
Support
To maintain; to keep from failing or sinking.
His encouragement supports her through tough times.
Support
To endorse or back a cause or individual.
They support environmental conservation efforts.
Common Curiosities
Does facilitate mean to simplify?
Yes, it means to make a process or action simpler or easier.
Can facilitate imply leadership in discussion?
Yes, it can imply leading a group in discussion or process.
Can support be passive?
Yes, support can be either passive, like moral support, or active, like financial support.
Can support be emotional?
Absolutely, it can imply emotional backing or reinforcement.
Is facilitating focused more on tasks?
Generally, yes. It is often more task-oriented, aimed at making actions or processes easier.
Can support be financial?
Yes, support can manifest as providing financial help or resources.
Is facilitate about enabling?
Yes, it primarily focuses on enabling and making processes more manageable.
Is support about providing strength?
Yes, support is about providing strength or assistance.
Does facilitate always imply an active role?
Typically, yes. Facilitating usually involves a proactive contribution to make something easier.
Can support involve sustenance?
Yes, it can involve sustaining or maintaining someone or something.
Can support imply endorsement?
Yes, to support can mean to endorse or back a cause or individual.
Is facilitating about creating conducive environments?
Absolutely, it's about creating conditions conducive to performing tasks efficiently.
Can you support by providing necessities?
Indeed, providing for or supplying necessities is a form of support.
Does facilitate involve removing obstacles?
Yes, it often involves freeing from difficulties or obstacles to ease a process.
Does facilitate mean to assist the progress of something?
Yes, to facilitate is to assist or expedite the progress of a task or process.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
