bear upon
C1 formal inseparable transitive
In simple words
To have something to do with a situation, or to press on something.
Literal meaning: To bear (carry/press) weight upon something — to rest relevantly on it.
Meanings
1 C1 formal
To be relevant to or connected with a situation, argument, or decision. (Formal)
"The judge noted that several documents bore upon the central issue of the trial."
Grammar: inseparable
2 C1
idiomatic
formal
To exert moral, emotional, or physical pressure upon someone or something. (Literary/formal)
"The guilt of his silence bore upon him more heavily each passing year."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
The formal and literary counterpart of 'bear on.' Common in academic, legal, and philosophical writing. Rarely used in everyday speech, where 'relate to,' 'affect,' or 'apply to' would be preferred.
Commonly used with
question issue case matter decision argument
Forms
Base
bear upon
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bears upon
he/she/it
Past simple
bore upon
yesterday
Past participle
born/borne upon
have + pp
-ing form
bearing upon
continuous
Understand "bear upon" better
Try:
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "bear upon" on Looplines