WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
sup•port•ive
(sə pôr′tiv, -pōr′-),USA pronunciation adj.
sup•port′ive•ness, n.
- giving support.
- providing sympathy or encouragement:His family was supportive of his attempts to be a writer.
- providing additional help, information, etc.;
auxiliary:manufacturers of supportive materials. - Medicinehelping to maintain a normal physiological balance, as by the intravenous administration of required nutriment.
- support + -ive 1585–95
'supportiveness' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):