assistance

assistance
    n 1: 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" [syn: {aid}, {assist}, {assistance},
         {help}]
    2: a resource; "visual aids in teaching" [syn: {aid},
       {assistance}, {help}]
    

Assistance \As*sist"ance\, n. [Cf. F. assistance.]
   1. The act of assisting; help; aid; furtherance; succor;
      support.
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            Without the assistance of a mortal hand. --Shak.
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   2. An assistant or helper; a body of helpers. [Obs.]
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            Wat Tyler [was] killed by valiant Walworth, the lord
            mayor of London, and his assistance, . . . John
            Cavendish.                            --Fuller.
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   3. Persons present. [Obs. or a Gallicism]
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74 Moby Thesaurus words for "assistance":
      advantage, aid, alimony, allotment, allowance, alterative,
      analeptic, annuity, appropriation, assist, avail, backing, balm,
      balsam, benefit, bounty, comfort, corrective, cure,
      depletion allowance, dole, ease, fellowship, financial assistance,
      good offices, grant, grant-in-aid, guaranteed annual income, hand,
      healing agent, healing quality, help, lift, ministration, ministry,
      office, offices, old-age insurance, pecuniary aid, pension,
      prescription, price support, profit, protection, public assistance,
      public welfare, receipt, recipe, reinforcement, relief,
      remedial measure, remedy, rescue, restorative, retirement benefits,
      scholarship, service, sovereign remedy, specific, specific remedy,
      stipend, subsidization, subsidy, subvention, succor, support,
      supporting, tax benefit, therapy, upholding, use, welfare,
      welfare aid, welfare payments