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supporter

/səˈpɔrdər/

/səˈpɔtə/

Other forms: supporters

A supporter is someone who's a fan or advocate of a person, group, or cause. During a political speech, it's easy to tell who the candidate's supporters are, because they're cheering and clapping.

You can be a supporter of a political party, a public figure, a sports team, or even an idea. If you're a supporter of civil rights, you're also more likely to be a supporter of the candidate who actively advocates for equal protections and opportunities. Supporter is from support and its Latin root, supportare, "carry" or "bring forward."

Definitions of supporter
  1. noun
    a person who backs a politician or a team etc.
    “all their supporters came out for the game”
    synonyms: admirer, booster, champion, friend, protagonist
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    types:
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    anglophil, anglophile
    an admirer of England and things English
    believer, truster
    a supporter who accepts something as true
    Boswell
    a devoted admirer and recorder of another's words and deeds
    cheerleader
    an enthusiastic and vocal supporter
    Confederate
    a supporter of the Confederate States of America
    corporatist
    a supporter of corporatism
    enthusiast, partisan, partizan
    an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity
    Francophil, Francophile
    an admirer of France and everything French
    free trader
    an advocate of unrestricted international trade
    functionalist
    an adherent of functionalism
    Jacobite
    a supporter of James II after he was overthrown or a supporter of the Stuarts
    loyalist, stalwart
    a person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt)
    New Dealer
    a supporter of the economic policies in the United States known as the New Deal
    Graecophile, philhellene, philhellenist
    an admirer of Greece and everything Greek
    mainstay, pillar
    a prominent supporter
    Roundhead
    a supporter of parliament and Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War
    seconder
    someone who endorses a motion or petition as a necessary preliminary to a discussion or vote
    Shavian
    an admirer of G. B. Shaw or his works
    endorser, indorser, ratifier, subscriber
    someone who expresses strong approval
    sympathiser, sympathizer, well-wisher
    someone who shares your feelings or opinions and hopes that you will be successful
    toaster, wassailer
    someone who proposes a toast; someone who drinks to the health of success of someone or some venture
    maintainer, sustainer, upholder
    someone who upholds or maintains
    verifier, voucher
    someone who vouches for another or for the correctness of a statement
    Whig
    a supporter of the American Revolution
    abiogenist
    a believer in abiogenesis
    addict, freak, junkie, junky, nut
    someone who is so ardently devoted to something that it resembles an addiction
    apostle
    an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform
    backslapper
    someone who demonstrates enthusiastic or excessive cordiality
    balletomane
    a ballet enthusiast
    bleeding heart
    someone who is excessively sympathetic toward those who claim to be exploited or underprivileged
    colonialist
    a believer in colonialism
    Confederate soldier
    a soldier in the Army of the Confederacy during the American Civil War
    Confucian, Confucianist
    a believer in the teachings of Confucius
    evolutionist
    a person who believes in organic evolution
    fanatic, fiend
    a person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause)
    fellow traveler, fellow traveller
    a communist sympathizer (but not a member of the Communist Party)
    gadgeteer
    a person who delights in designing or building or using gadgets
    imperialist
    a believer in imperialism
    Malthusian
    a believer in Malthusian theory
    shutterbug
    a photography enthusiast
    fan, rooter, sports fan
    an enthusiastic devotee of sports
    vitalist
    one who believes in vitalism
    type of:
    advocate, advocator, exponent, proponent
    a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
  2. noun
    someone who supports or champions something
    synonyms: patron, sponsor
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    angel, backer
    invests in a theatrical production
    godfather
    someone having a relation analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild
    godparent
    a person who sponsors someone (the godchild) at baptism
    guarantor, surety, warranter, warrantor
    one who promises to pay back a borrower's debt if in the event of a default on a loan
    patroness, patronne
    a woman who is a patron or the wife of a patron
    pillar of strength, tower of strength
    a person who can be relied on to give a great deal of support and comfort
    godfather
    any man who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism
    godmother
    any woman who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism
    type of:
    benefactor, helper
    a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)
  3. noun
    a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
    synonyms: assistant, help, helper
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    coadjutor
    an assistant to a bishop
    accomplice, confederate
    a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an unethical or illegal plan)
    aide, auxiliary
    someone who acts as an assistant
    attendant, attender, tender
    someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
    bat boy
    (baseball) a boy who takes care of bats and other baseball equipment
    dental assistant
    an assistant to a dentist
    deputy, lieutenant
    an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent
    actor's assistant, dresser
    a wardrobe assistant for an actor
    event planner
    someone who plans social events as a profession (usually for government or corporate officials)
    facilitator
    someone who makes progress easier
    flower girl
    a young girl who carries flowers in a (wedding) procession
    girl Friday
    a female assistant who has a range of duties
    enforcer, hatchet man
    one whose job it is to execute unpleasant tasks for a superior
    cat's-paw, instrument, pawn
    a person used by another to gain an end
    birthing coach, doula, labor coach, monitrice
    an assistant (often the father of the soon-to-be-born child) who provides support for a woman in labor by encouraging her to use techniques learned in childbirth-preparation classes
    underboss
    an assistant or second-in-command to a chief (especially in a crime syndicate)
    fashion model, manakin, manikin, mannequin, mannikin, model
    a woman who wears clothes to display fashions
    model, poser
    a person who poses for a photographer or painter or sculptor
    paraprofessional
    a trained worker who is not a member of a profession but who assists a professional
    powder monkey
    someone who carries explosives (as from the magazine to the guns on board a warship)
    prompter, theater prompter
    someone who assists a performer by providing the next words of a forgotten speech
    chief assistant, man Friday, right-hand man
    the most helpful assistant
    secretarial assistant, secretary
    an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization
    sidesman
    (Church of England) an assistant to the churchwarden; collects offerings of money in the church
    foot soldier, subordinate, subsidiary, underling
    an assistant subject to the authority or control of another
    water boy, waterer
    an assistant who supplies drinking water
    whipper-in
    huntsman's assistant in managing the hounds
    companion
    one paid to accompany or assist or live with another
    artist's model, sitter
    a person who poses for a painter or sculptor
    associate
    a person with subordinate membership in a society, institution, or commercial enterprise
    baggageman
    an attendant who takes care of baggage
    batman
    an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer
    bellboy, bellhop, bellman
    someone employed to carry luggage and run errands in a hotel
    bottom dog
    a person of low status
    bridesmaid, maid of honor
    an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding
    caddie, golf caddie
    an attendant who carries the golf clubs for a player
    checker
    an attendant who checks coats or baggage
    cog
    a subordinate who performs an important but routine function
    courtier
    an attendant at the court of a sovereign
    cupbearer
    the attendant (usually an officer of a nobleman's household) whose duty is to fill and serve cups of wine
    decoy, steerer
    a beguiler who leads someone into danger (usually as part of a plot)
    dressmaker's model
    someone who models dresses
    equerry
    a personal attendant of the British royal family
    escort
    an attendant who is employed to accompany someone
    esquire
    (Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood
    executive secretary
    a secretary having administrative duties and responsibilities
    famulus
    a close attendant (as to a scholar)
    gillie
    a young male attendant on a Scottish Highlander chief
    groomsman
    a male attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding
    lifeguard, lifesaver
    an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents
    linkboy, linkman
    (formerly) an attendant hired to carry a torch for pedestrians in dark streets
    loader
    an attendant who loads guns for someone shooting game
    man
    a male subordinate
    matron of honor
    a married woman serving as the attendant to the bride at a wedding
    nurse's aide, nursing aide
    someone who assists a nurse in tasks that require little formal training
    hospital attendant, orderly
    a male hospital attendant who has general duties that do not involve the medical treatment of patients
    orderly
    a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer
    page, varlet
    in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as the first stage in training for knighthood
    page
    a youthful attendant at official functions or ceremonies such as legislative functions and weddings
    legal assistant, paralegal
    a person with specialized training who assists lawyers
    paramedic, paramedical
    a person trained to assist medical professionals and to give emergency medical treatment
    photographer's model
    a model who poses for photographers
    racker
    an attendant who puts pool or billiard balls into a rack
    receptionist
    a secretary whose main duty is to answer the telephone and receive visitors
    rocker
    an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle
    second
    the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match
    second banana, second fiddle
    someone who serves in a subordinate capacity or plays a secondary role
    second-in-command
    someone who relieves a commander
    servitor
    someone who performs the duties of an attendant for someone else
    social secretary
    a personal secretary who handles your social correspondence and appointments
    squire
    a young nobleman attendant on a knight
    gallant, squire
    a man who attends or escorts a woman
    amanuensis, shorthand typist, stenographer
    someone skilled in the transcription of speech (especially dictation)
    flight attendant, steward
    an attendant on an airplane
    litter-bearer, stretcher-bearer
    one who helps carry a stretcher
    supermodel
    a fashion model who has attained the status of a celebrity
    trainbearer
    one who holds up the train of a gown or robe on a ceremonial occasion
    vicar-general
    (Roman Catholic Church) an administrative deputy who assists a bishop
    vice-regent
    a regent's deputy
    arouser, rouser, waker
    someone who rouses others from sleep
    valet
    someone employed to park and retrieve cars
    type of:
    worker
    a person who works at a specific occupation
  4. noun
    a band (usually elastic) worn around the leg to hold up a stocking (or around the arm to hold up a sleeve)
    synonyms: garter
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    type of:
    band
    a thin flat strip of flexible material that is worn around the body or one of the limbs (especially to decorate the body)
  5. noun
    a support for the genitals worn by men engaging in strenuous exercise
    synonyms: athletic supporter, jock, jockstrap, suspensor
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    type of:
    man's clothing
    clothing that is designed for men to wear
    protective garment
    clothing that is intended to protect the wearer from injury
Pronunciation
US

/səˈpɔrdər/

UK

/səˈpɔtə/

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