Child Support: Definition, Examples & Key Facts

Meaning 1：child maintenance payment (child support)

child support 🔊

/tʃaɪld səˈpɔːrt/

Money paid by one parent to the other after separation, for the child's daily needs like food, school, and clothes.

Child support calendar and envelope icon for regular payments

child maintenance payment 🔊

➕

/tʃaɪld ˈmeɪntənəns ˈpeɪmənt/

Regular financial contribution paid by a non-custodial parent to the custodial parent for the child's living, education, and healthcare expenses after separation or divorce.

📁 Category：Laws & Regulations 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Child' (Old English 'cild') + 'support' (Latin 'supportare' = carry from below), literally 'carrying a child's needs'.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a 'child' leaning on a 'support' beam — the beam is the monthly payment keeping the child upright.

📖 Example

After the divorce, Mark's father agreed to pay child support every month, which helped cover Mark's music lessons and school trips. 🔊 After the divorce, Mark's father agreed to pay child support every month, which helped cover Mark's music lessons and school trips.

🔗 Collocations

pay child support – to make a regular payment for a child's expenses

receive child support – to accept financial assistance for a child's upbringing

child support order – a court-issued directive defining the payment amount and schedule

🔄 Synonyms

child maintenance (n.) – Commonly used in British English; regular payment for a child's needs by a non-resident parent.

parental support (n.) – Broader term covering all forms of financial or emotional support from a parent.

custodial payment (n.) – A payment made to the parent who has primary custody of the child.

🚫 Antonyms

child neglect (n.) – Failure to provide adequate care, financial or otherwise, for a child.

🌱 Derivatives

child support payment (n.) – an individual installment of child support

child support case (n.) – a legal proceeding involving child support determination

📖 Cultural Story

Child support became a legal obligation in Western family law during the 20th century, shifting from moral duty to enforceable right, emphasizing children's welfare after parental separation.