Uphold vs. Sustain — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 26, 2024
Uphold means to support or maintain the principles or laws, often in a moral or legal context; sustain involves continuing or maintaining something over a period of time, typically resources or effort.
Difference Between Uphold and Sustain
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Key Differences
Uphold is commonly used in contexts where laws, rights, or values are being supported or enforced, such as a court upholding a ruling or an individual upholding traditions. On the other hand, sustain is more about providing ongoing support or prolonging the duration of something, like sustaining an effort or sustaining economic growth.
While upholding something often implies a commitment to standards or ethics, sustaining something focuses more on the resources or mechanisms needed to keep a process active or a state constant. Uphold can also carry a connotation of rectitude and firmness in support, whereas sustain often deals with viability and the capacity to continue.
Uphold is typically a proactive stance, suggesting active defense or support to keep a principle or law in place. In contrast, sustain can be either proactive or reactive, involving measures that help maintain a situation or condition over time.
The actions associated with upholding are usually formal and observed in structured settings like courts or institutions. Sustaining actions, however, are observed across a variety of contexts, from environmental management to personal endurance.
Upholding is used to describe the act of keeping ideals or standards high, while sustaining can refer to dealing with challenges over long periods, such as in relationships or careers.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To support, maintain, or defend
To keep up, prolong, or maintain
Typical Contexts
Legal, moral, ethical
Economic, environmental, personal endurance
Connotation
Moral rectitude, firm support
Viability, continuity
Nature of Action
Proactive defense or support
Can be proactive or reactive
Common Applications
Upholding laws, rights, traditions
Sustaining effort, growth, resources
Compare with Definitions
Uphold
To maintain or support firmly, especially in the face of challenge.
The judge upheld the decision despite public outcry.
Sustain
Involves prolonging or maintaining conditions.
The fund helps sustain local charities.
Uphold
Often used in legal and ethical contexts.
She vowed to uphold her family's honor.
Sustain
To keep something going over time.
The team sustained its effort through the final seconds of the game.
Uphold
Used to denote supporting principles or traditions.
The community upholds its annual festival traditions.
Sustain
Can refer to enduring hardships.
They had to sustain heavy losses before turning a profit.
Uphold
Implies active and steadfast support.
They uphold strict quality standards in their production.
Sustain
Often relates to continuous support or maintenance.
Renewable energy sources help sustain our planet’s health.
Uphold
Can indicate moral or ethical responsibility.
He upholds the code of ethics in his professional conduct.
Sustain
Also used in contexts like sustaining attention or interest.
The plot twists sustained the audience's interest throughout the movie.
Uphold
To hold aloft; raise
Upheld the banner proudly.
Sustain
Strengthen or support physically or mentally
This thought had sustained him throughout the years
Uphold
To prevent from falling or sinking; support
Beams that uphold the roof.
Sustain
Undergo or suffer (something unpleasant, especially an injury)
He sustained severe head injuries
Uphold
To maintain or affirm
Uphold a standard of behavior.
Sustain
Cause to continue for an extended period or without interruption
He cannot sustain a normal conversation
Uphold
To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.
Sustain
Uphold, affirm, or confirm the justice or validity of
The allegations of discrimination were sustained
Uphold
To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling
Sustain
An effect or facility on a keyboard or electronic instrument whereby a note can be sustained after the key is released.
Uphold
To support by approval or encouragement, to confirm (something which has been questioned)
Sustain
To keep in existence; maintain, continue, or prolong
Sustain an effort.
Uphold
To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.
The mournful train with groans, and hands upheld.Besought his pity.
Sustain
To keep up (a joke or assumed role, for example) competently.
Uphold
To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling; to maintain.
Honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Faulconbridge,In spite of spite, alone upholds the day.
Sustain
To supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for
The income needed to sustain a family.
Uphold
To aid by approval or encouragement; to countenance; as, to uphold a person in wrongdoing.
Sustain
To support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage
We were sustained by her unflagging optimism.
Uphold
Keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last;
Preserve the peace in the family
Continue the family tradition
Carry on the old traditions
Sustain
To support from below; keep from falling or sinking; prop
The beams sustain the weight of the roof.
Uphold
Stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals
Sustain
To bear up under; withstand
Can't sustain the blistering heat.
Uphold
Support against an opponent;
The appellate court upheld the verdict
Sustain
To experience or suffer
Sustained minor injuries.
Sustain
To affirm the validity of
The judge has sustained the prosecutor's objection.
Sustain
A capacity of a musical instrument to continue the resounding of a note or tone.
Sustain
(transitive) To maintain, or keep in existence.
The professor had trouble sustaining students’ interest until the end of her lectures.
The city came under sustained attack by enemy forces.
Sam managed to sustain his erection for two straight hours.
Sustain
(transitive) To provide for or nourish.
Provisions to sustain an army
Sustain
(transitive) To encourage or sanction (something). en
Sustain
(transitive) To experience or suffer (an injury, etc.).
The building sustained major damage in the earthquake.
Sustain
(transitive) To confirm, prove, or corroborate; to uphold.
To sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition
Sustain
To allow, accept, or admit (e.g. an objection or motion) as valid.
Sustain
To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support.
A foundation sustains the superstructure; an animal sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight.
Sustain
To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate.
Sustain
(music) A mechanism which can be used to hold a note, as the right pedal on a piano.
Sustain
To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support; as, a foundation sustains the superstructure; a beast sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight.
Every pillar the temple to sustain.
Sustain
Hence, to keep from sinking, as in despondence, or the like; to support.
No comfortable expectations of another life to sustain him under the evils in this world.
Sustain
To maintain; to keep alive; to support; to subsist; to nourish; as, provisions to sustain an army.
Sustain
To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate.
His sons, who seek the tyrant to sustain.
Sustain
To endure without failing or yielding; to bear up under; as, to sustain defeat and disappointment.
Sustain
To suffer; to bear; to undergo.
Shall Turnus, then, such endless toil sustain?
You shall sustain more new disgraces.
Sustain
To allow the prosecution of; to admit as valid; to sanction; to continue; not to dismiss or abate; as, the court sustained the action or suit.
Sustain
To prove; to establish by evidence; to corroborate or confirm; to be conclusive of; as, to sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition.
Sustain
One who, or that which, upholds or sustains; a sustainer.
I waked again, for my sustain was the Lord.
Sustain
Lengthen or extend in duration or space;
We sustained the diplomatic negociations as long as possible
Prolong the treatment of the patient
Keep up the good work
Sustain
Undergo (as of injuries and illnesses);
She suffered a fracture in the accident
He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars
She got a bruise on her leg
He got his arm broken in the scuffle
Sustain
Provide with nourishment;
We sustained ourselves on bread and water
This kind of food is not nourishing for young children
Sustain
Supply with necessities and support;
She alone sustained her family
The money will sustain our good cause
There's little to earn and many to keep
Sustain
Be the physical support of; carry the weight of;
The beam holds up the roof
He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam
What's holding that mirror?
Sustain
Admit as valid;
The court sustained the motion
Sustain
Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;
His story confirmed my doubts
The evidence supports the defendant
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to uphold a decision?
To uphold a decision means to confirm or support it, typically in a formal or official capacity.
Can sustain refer to negative situations?
Yes, sustain can refer to maintaining or enduring both positive and negative conditions, such as sustaining damage or sustaining growth.
How do organizations uphold their values?
Organizations uphold their values by implementing policies and practices that reflect and enforce those values consistently.
Can a business sustain profits indefinitely?
Sustaining profits indefinitely can be challenging and depends on adapting to market changes, innovating, and managing resources efficiently.
What are examples of sustainable practices?
Sustainable practices include recycling, using renewable energy, and employing methods of production that do not deplete resources.
How can one sustain motivation over a long project?
Sustaining motivation can involve setting small goals, celebrating milestones, and maintaining a clear focus on the project’s benefits and outcomes.
What is necessary to sustain an ecosystem?
Sustaining an ecosystem requires a balance of resources, conservation efforts, and policies that support biodiversity and ecological health.
What is the difference between upholding and enforcing?
Upholding is the act of maintaining or supporting, while enforcing implies the actual implementation or execution of laws and rules.
What does it mean to uphold tradition?
To uphold tradition means to keep practicing or honoring customs and practices that have been passed down through generations.
Can one person sustain a company?
While challenging, one person can sustain a company in its early stages by multitasking and managing resources effectively, though growth typically requires more personnel.
Is there a difference between sustaining effort and sustaining performance?
Sustaining effort involves continuously putting in work or energy, while sustaining performance refers to maintaining a level of success or results over time.
Is upholding always a legal term?
While often used in legal contexts, upholding can also refer to any act of supporting or maintaining standards or beliefs in various settings.
How do support systems help sustain individuals?
Support systems help sustain individuals by providing emotional, financial, or practical support, especially during challenging times.
Why is it important to uphold human rights?
Upholding human rights is essential to ensure that all individuals receive fair and equal treatment and protection under the law.
What does it mean to sustain an injury?
To sustain an injury means to experience and continue to deal with an injury over a period of time.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
