Phrasal verb
hold with
Definition
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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“I don't hold with all this modern technology.”
contextual
“My grandmother doesn't hold with children staying up past eight o'clock on school nights.”
complex
“The local council does not hold with the proposed expansion of the industrial zone, citing environmental concerns and traffic congestion.”
Usage
usually used with 'don't' or 'doesn't' to show disapproval.
Teaching tip
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.
Pitfall
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
with
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
hold + with + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hold-with