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The act of encouraging; incitement to action or to practice; as, the encouragement of youth in generosity. All generous encouragement of arts. Otway.

Discouragement. [Obs.] Spectator.

An association for promoting art (esp. the arts of design), and giving encouragement to artists.

[U. S.] Bartlett. -- Cattle show, an exhibition of domestic animals with prizes for the encouragement of stock breeding; -- usually accompanied with the exhibition of other agricultural and domestic products and of implements.

Encouragement; comfort. [Obs.] Rich bounty and dear cherishment. Spenser.

Encouragement; solace; consolation in trouble; also, that which affords consolation. In comfort of her mother's fears. Shak. Cheer thy spirit with this comfort. Shak. Speaking words of endearment where words of comfort availed not. Longfellow.

Approving or encouraging aspect of face; hence, favor, good will, support; aid; encouragement. Thou hast made him . . . glad with thy countenance. Ps. xxi. 6. This is the magistrate's peculiar province, to give countenance to piety and virtue, and to rebuke vice. Atterbury.

than thine iniquity deserveth. Job xi. 6. John Gay deserved to be a favorite. Thackeray. Encouragement is not held out to things that deserve reprehension. Burke.

Excitation; instigation; encouragement. Dishonest fomentation of your pride. Young.

An exclamation of joy, surprise, or encouragement. Shak.

A word used as a shout of joy, triumph, applause, encouragement, or welcome. Hurrah! hurrah! for Ivry and Henry of Navarre. Macaulay.

A word used as a shout of joy, exultation, approbation, or encouragement.

indebted to our parents for their care of us in infancy; indebted to friends for help and encouragement. Cowper.

gard to. [Obs.] What, no reflection on a reward! He might have an intuition at it, as the encouragement, though not the cause, of his pains. Fuller.

A quantity of corn formerly given by the lord to his customary tenants, as an encouragement to, or reward for, labor and faithful service.

Prizes for the encouragement of men and women who work for the interests of humanity, established by the will of A. B. Nobel (1833- 96), the Swedish inventor of dynamite, who left his entire estate for this purpose. They are awarded yearly for what is regarded as the most important work during the year in physics, chem…

Special countenance or support; favor, encouragement, or aid, afforded to a person or a work; as, the patronage of letters; patronage given to an author.

glory. Burke. The law that obliges parishes to support the poor offers a premium for the encouragement of idleness. Franklin.

having been the staple of the Indian trade. Arbuthnot. For the increase of trade and the encouragement of the worthy burgesses of Woodstock, her majesty was minded to erect the town into a staple for wool. Sir W. Scott.

To aid by approval or encouragement; to countenance; as, to uphold a person in wrongdoing.