upon

Meaning

A higher-register or more formal alternative to on in most, though not all, prepositional uses.

Hyphenated as

up‧on

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈpɒn/

Etymology

From Middle English upon, uppon, uppen, from Old English upon, uppon, uppan (“on, upon, up to, against, after, in addition to”), equivalent to up (“adverb”) + on (“preposition”). Cognate with Old Saxon uppan (“upon”), Old High German ūfan, ūffan (“upon”), Icelandic upp á, upp á (“up on, upon”), Swedish uppå (“up on, upon”) (thence Swedish på), Danish på (“up on, upon”), Norwegian på (“up on, upon”).

Sentences

Then the thing came upon him in a flash .

She wears upon her head a mural crown and veil .

Normal heights are thus dependent upon the reference ellipsoid chosen .