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support group

support group

66 2.8
A group of people who meet regularly to give each other help and advice about a shared problem
  • noun
  • /səˈpɔrt ɡruːp/
translation icon : grupo de apoyo
  • In this instance, another lesbian couple was also present at the support group.
  • support groups help
  • counseling and support groups
  • services and support groups

Therapy helps, as can support groups or even trusted friends.

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Examples

  • I had gone to support groups for young adults with cancer.

  • You will all have counselors and support groups available throughout your pregnancy and after the baby is placed.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • And so I really felt on my own and had to create that support group for myself.

  • And there are also some wonderful cancer support groups, too.

  • We were in the same cancer support group.

  • Could you tell our audience about the support group that you belong to?

  • I'm so blessed to have such an amazing support group through my family, my friends, and you guys are so helpful all the time.

  • The highlight of my week is this cancer support group I've been going to.

  • There was an astonishing variety of workshops, classes, and support groups on offer.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Attending a weekly support group for parents of children with autism has been incredibly helpful for me.

Antonyms

172 3.7

A state of being alone and cut off from other people physically or emotionally

How Therapeutic

support group
66 2.8
peer group
9 3.2
social group
12 2.7

Surface Forms

support group singular

Morphology

support + group

The meaning 'a group of people who give each other help or encouragement' is directly derived from combining 'support' (aid, encouragement) with 'group' (a collection of people). This is a fully compositional noun phrase following common English compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase support group comes from the image of a group of people giving support, like friends standing around someone to keep them steady when they are having a hard time. So it means 'a group of people who meet to help and encourage each other'.