assistance

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

assistance

help; aid; support: Can I be of some assistance?

Not to be confused with:

assistants – people who give help and support; aides: My assistants will help you with that.

as·sis·tance

(ə-sĭs′təns)

1. The act of assisting.

2. Aid; help: financial assistance.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

assistance

(əˈsɪstəns)

1. help; support

2. the act of assisting

3. (Social Welfare) informal Brit See national assistance

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

as•sis•tance

(əˈsɪs təns)

n.

the act of assisting; help; aid; support.

[1375–1425; late Middle English assistence < Medieval Latin]

Assistance

(See also COOPERATION.)

candle-holder An abettor; an assistant or attendant. The reference is to the Catholic practice of having someone hold a candle for the reader during a religious service. In everyday language, the expression applies to anyone who helps out in some small way, but who is not a real participant in the action or undertaking. Shakespeare used the term in Romeo and Juliet:

I’ll be a candle-holder and look on. (I, iv)

give a leg up To lend a helping hand; to give someone assistance through a difficult or trying time. This expression, originally meaning to help someone mount a horse, now carries the figurative sense of assisting another over life’s obstacles or helping someone advance through the ranks.

She was now devoting all her energies to give them a leg up. (William E. Norris, Misadventure, 1890)

good Samaritan A compassionate person who selflessly helps those in need; a friend in need; also simply a Samaritan. The allusion is to the Biblical parable (Luke 10:30-37) which tells of a man who had been beaten by thieves. He lay half-dead by the roadside while his neighbors, a priest and a Levite, passed him by. It was a Samaritan, his supposed enemy, who finally showed compassion for the man and took care of him. This expression dates from at least 1644.

I wish some good Samaritan of a Conservative with sufficient authority could heal the feuds among our friends. (Lord Ashburton, Croker Papers, 1846)

go to bat for To support actively, to stick up for or defend; to intercede for, to go to the assistance of. This American slang expression owes its origin to baseball—specifically the role of the pinch hitter. In the mid-1800s, go to the bat was used; by the turn of the century go or come to bat for gained currency. Now go to bat for is heard almost exclusively.

The daughter of old man Brewster who owns the Evening Tab, my meal ticket, came to bat when my show was ready to close. (J. P. McEvoy, Show Girl, 1928)

ka me, ka thee See RECIPROCITY.

pinch-hit To substitute for a regular worker, player, speaker, or performer, especially in an emergency; to take an other person’s place. In this expression, pinch refers to an emergency, a time of stress, and hit refers to a successful, or hopefully successful, attempt. A person called upon in such a predicament is called a pinch-hitter. Though it originated and is most commonly used in baseball to describe the substitution of a batter for the regularly scheduled one, usually at a crucial point in the game, pinch-hit has been expanded to include many other situations and contexts.

In his absence, he has called upon three good friends, also authors of daily columns, to pinch-hit for him and give his readers a “change of pace.” (Lubbock[Texas] Morning Avalanche, February, 1949)

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	assistance - the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose; "he gave me an assist with the housework"; "could not walk without assistance"; "rescue party went to their aid"; "offered his help in unloading" assist, help, aid activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" self-help - the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else facilitation - act of assisting or making easier the progress or improvement of something helping hand, hand - physical assistance; "give me a hand with the chores" recourse, refuge, resort - act of turning to for assistance; "have recourse to the courts"; "an appeal to his uncle was his last resort" thanks - with the help of or owing to; "thanks to hard work it was a great success" ministration, succor, succour, relief - assistance in time of difficulty; "the contributions provided some relief for the victims" lift - the act of giving temporary assistance service - an act of help or assistance; "he did them a service" accommodation - the act of providing something (lodging or seat or food) to meet a need boost, encouragement - the act of giving hope or support to someone comfort - assistance, such as that provided to an enemy or to a known criminal; "it gave comfort to the enemy" support - aiding the cause or policy or interests of; "the president no longer has the support of his own party"; "they developed a scheme of mutual support"
	2.	assistance - a resource; "visual aids in teaching" aid, help resource - a source of aid or support that may be drawn upon when needed; "the local library is a valuable resource"

assistance

noun help, backing, service, support, benefit, aid, relief, boost, promotion, cooperation, encouragement, collaboration, reinforcement, helping hand, sustenance, succour, furtherance, abetment He's been operating the shop with the assistance of volunteers.
opposition, resistance, obstruction, hindrance

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

assistance

noun

The act or an instance of helping:

abetment, aid, assist, hand, help, relief, succor, support.

Translations

مُسَاعَدَةمُساعَدَه

pomoc

hjælpassistance

Hilfe Hilfeleistung Mithilfe Nachhilfe

βοήθεια συνδρομή

asistencia ayuda auxilio

apu

aide assistance secours

pomoć

aîstoî, hjálp

assistenza aiuto appoggio

援助

도움

pomoč

hjälp

ความช่วยเหลือ

yardım

sự hỗ trợ

协助帮助

assistance

[əˈsɪstəns] N → ayuda f, auxilio m
to be of assistance to; give assistance to → ayudar a, prestar ayuda a
can I be of any assistance? → ¿puedo ayudarle?, ¿le puedo servir en algo?
to come to sb's assistance → acudir en ayuda or auxilio de algn

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

assistance

[əˈsɪstəns] n → aide f
assistance in doing sth → aide pour faire qch
can I be of assistance?, can I be of any assistance? → je peux vous aider?
to come to sb's assistance → venir en aide à qn

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

assistance

n → Hilfe f; to give assistance to somebody (= come to aid of) → jdm Hilfe leisten; my secretary will give you every assistance → meine Sekretärin wird Ihnen in jeder Hinsicht behilflich sein; to come to somebody’s assistance → jdm zu Hilfe kommen; to be of assistance to somebody → jdm helfen or behilflich sein; can I be of any assistance? → kann ich irgendwie helfen or behilflich sein?

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

assistance

[əˈsɪst/əns] n → aiuto, assistenza
can I be of any assistance? → posso esserle utile (in qualcosa)? (in shop) → desidera?
to come to sb's assistance → venire in aiuto a qn

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

assist

(əˈsist) verb

to help. The junior doctor assisted the surgeon at the operation.

asˈsistance noun

help. Do you need assistance?

asˈsistant noun

1. a person who assists; a helper. a laboratory assistant; (also adjective) an assistant headmaster.

2. a person who serves in a shop.

assistance

→ مُسَاعَدَة pomoc hjælp Hilfeleistung βοήθεια asistencia apu assistance pomoć assistenza 援助 도움 assistentie assistanse pomoc assistência помощь hjälp ความช่วยเหลือ yardım sự hỗ trợ 协助

as·sis·tance

n. asistencia, ayuda.

assistance

n asistencia, ayuda

References in classic literature ?

As I feel that the opportunities which I enjoyed of studying the Natural History of the different countries we visited, have been wholly due to Captain Fitz Roy, I hope I may here be permitted to repeat my expression of gratitude to him; and to add that, during the five years we were together, I received from him the most cordial friendship and steady assistance. Both to Captain Fitz Roy and to all the Officers of the Beagle [1] I shall ever feel most thankful for the undeviating kindness with which I was treated during our long voyage.

View in context

He wishes your assistance to conquer the Land of Oz."

View in context

This unfortunately befel the captain as he was taking his evening walk by himself, so that nobody was present to lend him any assistance, if indeed, any assistance could have preserved him.

View in context

In certain cutaneous disorders very prevalent in new settlements, he was considered to be infallible; and there was no woman on the Patent but would as soon think of becoming a mother without a husband as without the assistance of Dr.

View in context

Princes, especially new ones, have found more fidelity and assistance in those men who in the beginning of their rule were distrusted than among those who in the beginning were trusted.

View in context

He took the guinea, as I could see, with great satisfaction, and assured me of his assistance.

View in context

if you will not help me against a Flea, how can I hope for your assistance against greater antagonists?'

View in context

On two occasions only--both equally harmless to the individual on whom I practised--did I summon to myself the assistance of chemical knowledge.

View in context

About the beginning of the sixteenth century arose a Moor near the Cape of Gardafui, who, by the assistance of the forces sent him from Moca by the Arabs and Turks, conquered almost all Abyssinia, and founded the kingdom of Adel.

View in context

Once the thought occurred to her of seeking assistance from Harry; but this awakened the recollection of their last parting, and it seemed unworthy of her to call him back, when--the tears rose to her eyes as she pursued this train of reflection--he might have by this time learnt to forget her, and to be happier away.

View in context

"I believe you are right, my love; it will be better that there should by no annuity in the case; whatever I may give them occasionally will be of far greater assistance than a yearly allowance, because they would only enlarge their style of living if they felt sure of a larger income, and would not be sixpence the richer for it at the end of the year.

View in context

So saying, he accommodated the friar with his assistance in tying the endless number of points, as the laces which attached the hose to the doublet were then termed.