Meaning & use
supporter
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who backs a cause, leader or idea, by helping, giving money or showing approval.
Grammar: Often followed by of: a supporter of reform.
Patterns
- a supporter of something
- a loyal supporter
She has been a supporter of the park since it opened.
The mayor thanked her supporters at the rally.
Many supporters donated to the charity.
nouncountableBritish
A fan who follows a sports team and often attends its matches.
Grammar: More common in British English than American; Americans usually say fan.
Patterns
- a supporter of a team
- football supporters
Thousands of supporters traveled to the final.
He has been an Arsenal supporter since he was six.
The club offers discounts to season-ticket supporters.
nouncountable
Something that holds up or gives physical support to another thing or body part.
Grammar: Often part of a compound, as in athletic supporter.
Patterns
- a supporter for something
The shelf rests on a metal supporter.
The vine climbed a wooden supporter beside the wall.
Word forms
| plural | supporters |
|---|
Common combinations
- loyal supporter
- He was a loyal supporter of the school band.
- ardent supporter
- She is an ardent supporter of animal rights.
- supporter of the cause
- Every supporter of the cause signed the petition.
- football supporter
- Football supporters filled the train.
- rally supporters
- The senator tried to rally supporters before the vote.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backer
- Backer often means someone who gives money or practical aid, while supporter can simply mean someone who approves.
- advocate
- Advocate suggests someone who actively speaks up for a cause, which is stronger than supporter.
- fan
- Fan is informal and stresses enthusiasm for a person or team more than backing.
- follower
- Follower suggests someone who follows a leader or belief, and may carry a hint of blind obedience.
Opposites
Word family
- support verb
- to help, back or hold up
- support noun
- help or approval
- supportive adjective
- giving encouragement or help
- supportively adverb
- in a helpful, encouraging way
Commonly confused: supporter or sponsor?
supporter vs sponsor
A sponsor gives money, often for advertising or a commercial reason, while a supporter backs something because they believe in it.
Practice
Which sentence uses supporter in the most usual way?
Choose one answer.
A supporter backs a cause or team. The other sentences misuse the noun or the grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “supporter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.