For Individuals|For Teachers
Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free
Log in

Looking up...

Words

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • My Dictionary

Languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German

Features

  • Words of the Year
  • My Collections List
  • Reviews
  • Learning Resources
  • Community Collections

Learn

  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.

supportive

/səˈpɔːrtɪv/
adjective★Intermediate
general

Providing encouragement, help, or approval to someone or something

The teacher was very supportive of her students' creative ideas.

The teacher encouraged and approved of her students' creative ideas.

A supportive family environment helps children develop confidence.

A family that provides encouragement and help fosters children's confidence.

💡

Often used to describe people, environments, or systems that provide assistance or encouragement.

Collocations

supportive environmenta setting that encourages and helps peoplesupportive frienda friend who provides encouragement and helpsupportive communitya group that offers mutual assistance and encouragement

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

be supportive ofphrase
to approve of or encourage something
supportive carephrase
medical or emotional care that helps patients cope

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

Use 'supportive' to describe people or environments that provide help or encouragement, not just physical support.

⚡Gold Rule

Avoid Overuse

'Supportive' is often overused in formal contexts. Use synonyms like 'encouraging' or 'helpful' for variety.

📖Word Origin

From Middle English 'supportif', from Old French 'supporter' (to support), from Latin 'supportare' (to bear up).

📝Usage Notes

Can describe people, environments, or systems that provide assistance or encouragement. Often used in contexts like education, healthcare, or personal relationships.

Word Breakdown

support
to hold up or assist
root
+
-ive
having the quality of
suffix
English Dictionary

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →