Word
uphold
Phoneticsup·hold, stress on the second syllable
US/əpˈhoʊɫd/
UK/ʌphˈəʊld/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
uphold
Past
upheld
Past participle
upheld
Definitions
01to confirm a legal decision
C1 · Advanced Law Formal
v. to agree that a previous legal decision was correct and should not be changed.
v. to confirm or ratify a previous judgement or verdict, typically by a higher court or authority.
“The high court decided to uphold the original sentence despite the new evidence.”
“The appellate court moved to uphold the lower court's ruling, citing a lack of procedural errors during the initial trial.”
Usage
This verb is transitive and almost always takes a legal decision or verdict as its direct object.
02to maintain a principle
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to support or defend a belief, law, or standard that you think is important.
v. to maintain or support a principle, tradition, or law against opposition or decay.
“Police officers take an oath to uphold the law and protect the public.”
“The university remains committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity across all its research departments.”
Usage
Commonly collocates with abstract nouns like 'values', 'standards', 'tradition', or 'the law'.
03to physically support
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Archaic
v. to hold something up so that it does not fall down.
v. to provide physical support or to keep something erect.
“The old stone pillars uphold the weight of the heavy roof.”
“Massive oak beams were installed to uphold the crumbling ceiling of the medieval cathedral.”
Teaching tip
In modern English, 'support' or 'hold up' is much more common for physical objects; 'uphold' is now almost exclusively used for abstract or legal concepts.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “uphold” in context.
Verb
01. fail to uphold
“The company was sued after it failed to uphold its end of the contract.”
verb + verb
02. struggle to uphold
“Small businesses often struggle to uphold strict environmental regulations.”
verb + verb
Noun
03. consistently uphold
“The committee has consistently upheld the highest standards of academic integrity.”
adv + verb
04. firmly uphold
“The organization continues to firmly uphold its founding principles.”
adv + verb
05. unanimously uphold
“The Supreme Court voted to unanimously uphold the lower court's ruling.”
adv + verb
06. uphold conviction
“The judges found no grounds for an appeal and voted to uphold the conviction.”
verb + noun
07. uphold decision
“The appeals court chose to uphold the decision made by the original jury.”
verb + noun
08. uphold law
“Police officers take an oath to uphold the law without bias.”
verb + noun
09. uphold principle
“It is essential to uphold the principle of free speech even when we disagree.”
verb + noun
10. uphold standard
“The school works hard to uphold high standards of discipline and achievement.”
verb + noun
11. duty to uphold
“Public officials have a moral duty to uphold the interests of the citizens.”
12. uphold a ban on
“The government moved to uphold a ban on single-use plastics.”
Real-World Examples
“Strict regulations protect the environment and uphold safety standards but can add costs.” “Uphold the decisions of the international court of justice and the international criminal court.” Etymology
From Middle English upholden, equivalent to up- + hold. Compare Dutch ophouden (“to stop, cease, hold up”), German aufhalten (“to stop, halt, detain”). Compare also Middle Low German upholt, Old Norse upphald (“uphold, support”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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