- (formal, especially British English) = on
- The decision was based upon two considerations.
- … upon…used to emphasize that there is a large number or amount of something
- mile upon mile of dusty road
- thousands upon thousands of letters
Word OriginMiddle English: from up + on, suggested by Old Norse upp á.
Idioms
See upon in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee upon in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishonce upon a time
- used, especially at the beginning of stories, to mean ‘a long time ago in the past’
- Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess.
(almost) upon you
- if something in the future is almost upon you, it is going to arrive or happen very soon
- The summer season was almost upon them again.
Check pronunciation:
upon