ASSISTANCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does assistance mean? 

• ASSISTANCE (noun)
  The noun ASSISTANCE has 3 senses:

1. the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

2. a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do

3. gift of money or other material help to support a person or cause

  Familiarity information: ASSISTANCE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ASSISTANCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

aid; assist; assistance; help

Context example:

offered his help in unloading

Hypernyms ("assistance" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "assistance"):

facilitation (act of assisting or making easier the progress or improvement of something)

support (aiding the cause or policy or interests of)

comfort (assistance, such as that provided to an enemy or to a known criminal)

boost; encouragement (the act of giving hope or support to someone)

accommodation (the act of providing something (lodging or seat or food) to meet a need)

service (an act of help or assistance)

lift (the act of giving temporary assistance)

ministration; relief; succor; succour (assistance in time of difficulty)

thanks (with the help of or owing to)

recourse; refuge; resort (act of turning to for assistance)

hand; helping hand (physical assistance)

self-help (the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else)

Derivation:

assist (give help or assistance; be of service)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

aid; assistance; help

Context example:

his job was to give technical assistance over the phone

Hypernyms ("assistance" is a kind of...):

resource (a source of aid or support that may be drawn upon when needed)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Gift of money or other material help to support a person or cause

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

aid; assistance; economic aid; economic assistance; financial aid; financial assistance

Context example:

economic assistance to depressed areas

Hypernyms ("assistance" is a kind of...):

gift (something acquired without compensation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "assistance"):

public assistance; social welfare; welfare (governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need)

philanthropic gift; philanthropy (voluntary promotion of human welfare)

scholarship (financial aid provided to a student on the basis of academic merit)

fellowship (money granted (by a university or foundation or other agency) for advanced study or research)

foreign aid (aid (such as economic or military assistance) provided to one nation by another)

grant (any monetary aid)

grant-in-aid (a grant to a person or school for some educational project)

traineeship (financial aid that enables you to get trained for a specified job)

 Context examples 

“I am only a weak woman, but just my small assistance may enable you to escape disaster.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Persons who provide care to those who need supervision or assistance in illness or disability.

(Caregiver, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

I knelt beside him for some minutes, and then made my way to Mr. Turner’s lodge-keeper, his house being the nearest, to ask for assistance.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II requires the assistance of TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors, or TAFs, in 2 distinct complexes, TFIID and B-TFIID.

(B-TFIID Subunit Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

An emergency measure on newborns, which requires assistance to begin breathing at birth.

(Cardiac Compression during Initial Resuscitation, NCI Thesaurus)

"Lind me a hand," he said to Hans, with whose assistance he managed to mount the barrel.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I would have gone to his assistance, but he waved me off, and wouldn't hear a word.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

As a conductress of Indian schools, and a helper amongst Indian women, your assistance will be to me invaluable.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Daytime supervision, which may include recreational or medical facilities, for children, seniors, or people needing special assistance.

(Daycare, NCI Thesaurus)

A question about how an individual would describe the usual quality of their erections without the assistance of medications or devices during the last four weeks.

(Describe Usual Quality of Erections Without Assistance of Medicines or Devices During Last 4 Weeks, NCI Thesaurus)