hold with
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to agree with or approve of an idea, habit, or way of doing things.
phrasal verb. to subscribe to or approve of a particular principle or practice; almost exclusively used in negative constructions or interrogatives.
I don't hold with all this modern technology.
My grandmother doesn't hold with children staying up past eight o'clock on school nights.
The local council does not hold with the proposed expansion of the industrial zone, citing environmental concerns and traffic congestion.
- agree with
- approve of
- support
- condone
- Particles
- with
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- hold + with + object
usually used with 'don't' or 'doesn't' to show disapproval.
this is a great example of a 'negative polarity' item; it is rarely used in positive statements like 'I hold with that', making it a good study in natural collocations.
I don't hold with to eat meat.I don't hold with eating meat.the preposition 'with' must be followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.
Last updated April 24, 2026