MEANING
Keep a principle, decision, or standard in force, or support its authority.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- uphold a ruling
- uphold a principle
On the page
The appeal court upheld the ruling.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- uphold
- Past tense
- upheld
- Past participle
- upheld
- Present participle
- upholding
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- uphold
- Present continuous
- am/is/are upholding
- Present perfect
- have/has upheld
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been upholding
- Past
- upheld
- Past continuous
- was/were upholding
- Past perfect
- had upheld
- Past perfect continuous
- had been upholding
- Future
- will uphold
- Future continuous
- will be upholding
- Future perfect
- will have upheld
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been upholding
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: uphold; upholds; upheld; upheld; upholding Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, evaluation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: upholds.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.