uphold

uphold — verb

1. to actively protect and support a principle, law, tradition, or moral standard,

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to actively protect and support a principle, law, tradition, or moral standard, ensuring it remains respected and followed over time

Example

Aiko's father always taught her to uphold the family's traditions with pride.

collocation: uphold traditions

The United Nations works to uphold peace and security across all nations.

collocation: uphold peace

Common collocations
  • uphold a principle
  • uphold the law
  • uphold a tradition
  • uphold human rights
  • uphold values
  • uphold standards
  • uphold the constitution
Synonyms
  • support

    more general; can apply to people as well as ideas

  • defend

    stronger connotation of facing opposition or attack

  • maintain

    focuses on keeping something in its existing state

  • champion

    more active and enthusiastic; suggests promoting a cause publicly

Antonyms
  • violate

    to break or fail to respect a principle or law

  • abandon

    to give up a principle or standard entirely

Grammar Patterns

uphold + noun (principle / law / value / tradition)

Usage Note

This sense is common in formal, legal, ethical, and institutional contexts. The subject is typically a person, group, or organisation with moral or official authority.

Common Mistakes

The store upholds low prices for customers.
The store keeps prices low for customers.
'uphold' is used for principles and decisions, not for maintaining prices or quantities.
He upheld his hand to ask a question.
He raised his hand to ask a question.
'uphold' no longer means 'hold up physically' in modern English.

2. when a court or official body declares that an earlier judgment, decision, or le

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

when a court or official body declares that an earlier judgment, decision, or legal ruling is valid and should remain in place

Example

The appeal court upheld the original verdict and refused to change it.

passive: appeal court upheld [ruling]

Justice Wen upheld the decision after carefully reviewing all the evidence.

Common collocations
  • uphold a decision
  • uphold a ruling
  • uphold a verdict
  • uphold a judgment
  • uphold an appeal
  • uphold a sentence
Synonyms
  • confirm

    more general; can be used outside legal contexts

  • affirm

    formal legal term with the same core meaning

  • sustain

    common in legal contexts, especially in US courts

  • endorse

    slightly less formal; can refer to non-legal approvals

Antonyms
  • overturn

    to reverse a previous decision or ruling

  • reject

    to refuse to accept an appeal or request

Grammar Patterns

uphold + noun (decision / ruling / verdict / judgment)

be upheld (passive)

Usage Note

The subject is nearly always a court, judge, committee, or other authority with the power to review an earlier decision. Frequently used in the passive voice: 'The verdict was upheld.'

Common Mistakes

The police upheld the suspect's arrest.
The court upheld the suspect's arrest.
only a reviewing authority can 'uphold' a decision; police action itself is not reviewed in this sense.
The judge upheld the defendant guilty.
The judge upheld the guilty verdict.
'uphold' takes a decision or ruling, not a person, as its object.

Word family

  • upheld
    verbB2
  • upholder
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Support' is the most general word of the group — you can support a person, an idea, or a political party, and it carries no particular tone of struggle. 'Defend' adds the idea that the principle is under threat or attack, so it feels more forceful and protective. 'Maintain' focuses on preserving something that already exists, often through steady, routine effort rather than active promotion — you maintain a standard or a relationship. 'Champion' is the most enthusiastic and public of the four: a champion of a cause actively promotes it and tries to win others over. If you uphold a principle, you protect it while also making sure it is followed in practice — this mixture of defence and enforcement is what sets 'uphold' apart. For example, a judge can uphold the law by both defending it from challenges and enforcing it in court decisions.

support ↗defend ↗maintain ↗champion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • uphold the law
  • uphold a decision
  • uphold a ruling
  • uphold a tradition

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Uphold' comes from the Old English phrase 'up healdan', meaning 'to hold up' or 'to keep from falling'. The literal sense of physically holding something up was the original meaning, but by the 13th century it had already begun to be used figuratively for supporting institutions, principles, and people. The modern use is almost entirely figurative, focusing on moral and legal support rather than physical lifting.