Supported is the past tense of support. - I supported South Africa in 2010 World Cup Supportive is an adjective that describes the nature/character of a person/thing in relation to it's/their ability to provide encouragement. -My husband is very supportive of my career. Supporting is also an adjective that usually refers to carrying some weight or substantiating a claim and usually requires a noun or a pronoun. It can also be used as a gerund. - The beams supporting the bridge were cracked. -The supporting actress won an Emmy.