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Support vs Enforce - What's the difference?

support | enforce |

In archaic terms the difference between support and enforce

is that support is to endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; to tolerate while enforce is to compel, oblige (someone or something); to force.

As verbs the difference between support and enforce

is that support is (to keep from falling) To keep from falling while enforce is to strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc.

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 ----

    enforce

    English

    Alternative forms

    * inforce (obsolete)

    Verb

    (enforc)
  • (obsolete) To strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc.
  • (obsolete) To intensify, make stronger, add force to.
  • (obsolete, reflexive) To exert oneself, to try hard.
  • *, Bk.VII:
  • *:I pray you enforce youreselff at that justis that ye may be beste, for my love.
  • To give strength or force to; to affirm, to emphasize.
  • :The victim was able to enforce his evidence against the alleged perpetrator.
  • (archaic) To compel, oblige (someone or something); to force.
  • *, I.2.4.iv:
  • *:Uladislaus the Second, King of Poland, and Peter Dunnius, Earl of Shrinehad been hunting late, and were enforced to lodge in a poor cottage.
  • *1899 , E. OE. Somerville and Martin Ross, Some Experiences of an Irish R.M.'', Great Uncle McCarthy :
  • *:In a few minutes I was stealthily groping my way down my own staircase, with a box of matches in my hand, enforced by scientific curiosity, but none the less armed with a stick.
  • To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
  • :The police are there to enforce the law.
  • (obsolete) To make or gain by force; to force.
  • :to enforce a passage
  • *Spenser
  • *:enforcing furious way
  • (obsolete) To put in motion or action by violence; to drive.
  • *Shakespeare
  • *:As swift as stones / Enforced from the old Assyrian slings.
  • (obsolete) To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to urge with energy.
  • :to enforce arguments or requests
  • *Burke
  • *:enforcing sentiment of the thrust humanity
  • (obsolete) To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon.
  • *Shakespeare
  • *:Enforce him with his envy to the people.
  • To prove; to evince.
  • :(Hooker)
  • Derived terms

    * enforcer * enforcement