buttress
BUT-russ
/ˈbʌt.rəs/
To provide a structure with support; to reinforce or strengthen an argument or theory.
A very strong, structural term. In arguments, it means providing solid evidence that makes the claim unshakeable.
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'bouter', meaning 'to strike' or 'to push'. A buttress 'pushes' back against the weight of a wall to keep it from falling outward.
Word relationships
- bolster: Bolster is softer (like a pillow); buttress is harder (like a stone wall).
- weaken: To weaken is to remove the support that a buttress provides.
Commonly confused with
- reinforce: Reinforce is to add strength from within; buttress is to add strength from the outside.
Word family
- buttressing (noun): The provision of support or reinforcement.
Collocations
- buttress an argument
- flying buttress
- buttress a claim
Example sentences
- "The author uses several case studies to buttress his hypothesis." Academic writing
- "Flying buttresses allowed Gothic cathedrals to have much thinner walls and larger windows." Architecture
Memory hook
Think of a 'butt' pushing against a wall to keep it up. Push-back support.
When not to use
Too formal for casual support (e.g., 'I'll buttress you at the party' is weird).
Fun facts
- The 'flying buttress' is one of the most famous innovations of Gothic architecture.
Explore more words
substantiate, back up, corroborate, affirm, reinforce, reinforced
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