supporting

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
support/səˈpɔːt/

▶verb

• 1 bear all or part of the weight of.

• 2 give assistance, encouragement, or approval to.

  ■ be actively interested in (a particular sports team).

  ■ (as adj. supporting) (of an actor or a role) of secondary importance to the leading roles in a play or film.

  ■ (of a pop or rock group or performer) function as a secondary act to (another) at a concert.

• 3 provide with a home and the necessities of life.

  ■ be capable of sustaining.

• 4 corroborate.

• 5 endure; tolerate.

▶noun

• 1 a person or thing that supports.

  ■ the action of supporting or the state of being supported.

  ■ corroborative evidence.

• 2 assistance, encouragement, or approval.

– derivatives
supportability noun,
supportable adjective.

– origin ME: from OFr. supporter, from L. supportare, from sub- ‘from below’ + portare ‘carry’.