Link Centre Dictionary

uphold

up·hold

UK/ˌʌpˈhəʊld/ US/ʌˈphoʊld/ fairly common

verb

1.

keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

  • “preserve the peace in the family”
  • “continue the family tradition”
  • “Carry on the old traditions”
Synonyms
Antonyms
2.

stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals

3.

support against an opponent

  • “The appellate court upheld the verdict”
Synonyms

Origin

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”).

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.