Upon
prepositionOn or onto the surface of something; used in a more formal or literary sense than 'on'.
How to spell upon
4 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce upon
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does upon mean?
- prepositionOn or onto the surface of something; used in a more formal or literary sense than 'on'.
Upon in a sentence
-
The decision rests entirely upon the committee.
-
She placed the contract upon the desk for signing.
Where does upon come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This word is a straightforward compound of the everyday words 'up' and 'on', both of which descend from Old English: 'uppe' meaning up or above, and 'on' meaning on or at. The two were fused into a single preposition in early Middle English, around the twelfth century, partly under the influence of Old Norse usage, since Scandinavian settlers favoured a similar combined form. For centuries 'upon' and 'on' have overlapped heavily in meaning, with 'upon' carrying a slightly more formal or literary tone. Because both parts are tiny, familiar words, the spelling is transparent; the only thing to remember is that it is written as one closed word, not as the two separate words 'up on'.
How the word is built
- up (Old English uppe: up, above)
- on (Old English on: on)
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