Encouragement

n.	1.	The act of encouraging; incitement to action or to practice; as, the encouragement of youth in generosity. All generous encouragement of arts. - Otway.
	2.	That which serves to incite, support, promote, or advance, as favor, countenance, reward, etc.; incentive; increase of confidence; as, the fine arts find little encouragement among a rude people. To think of his paternal care, Is a most sweet encouragement to prayer. - Byron.

Noun	1.	encouragement - the expression of approval and support Antonyms: discouragement - the expression of opposition and disapproval
	2.	encouragement - the act of giving hope or support to someone Synonyms: boost
	3.	encouragement - the feeling of being encouraged

abetment, advocacy, aegis, aid, aid and comfort, animating, animation, assurance, auspices, backing, bait, boost, bribe, care, carrot, championship, charity, cheering, comfort, condolence, consolation, countenance, easement, emboldening, exhortation, exhorting, favor, fillip, fosterage, goading, goodwill, guidance, heartening, help, incentive, incitement, inciting, inducement, insistence, inspiration, inspiring, inspiriting, inspiritment, instance, interest, invitation, lure, needling, patronage, payment, pep talk, percentage, persuasive, pressing, pressure, pricking, prodding, profit, promoting, promotion, provocation, reassurance, reassuring, relief, reward, seconding, shred of comfort, solace, solacement, sponsorship, spur, spurring, stimulating, stimulation, stimulative, stimulus, support, supporting, sweetener, sweetening, sympathy, tutelage, urging, whet