Meaning & use
upbringing
Last updated
UK/ˈʌpbrɪŋɪŋ/
US/ˈʌpbrɪŋɪŋ/
Meaning
nounsingular
The way a child is raised and taught values, manners, and habits by those who care for them.
Grammar: Usually singular with a possessive: her upbringing.
Patterns
- someone's upbringing
- an upbringing in a place
Her strict upbringing taught her good manners.
He had a happy upbringing in a small village.
They credit their parents' upbringing for their kindness.
Common combinations
- strict upbringing
- He had a strict upbringing.
- religious upbringing
- Her religious upbringing shaped her views.
- privileged upbringing
- A privileged upbringing gave him many chances.
- humble upbringing
- She came from a humble upbringing.
- rural upbringing
- His rural upbringing taught him patience.
Synonyms and how they differ
- raising
- Raising is a plainer word and is mostly used with a verb, as in raising children.
- childhood
- Childhood is the time of life, while upbringing is how you were taught during it.
- background
- Background is wider, including class, school and family history, not only how you were raised.
- nurture
- Nurture is a formal term, often in the nature versus nurture debate.
Word family
- bring up verb
- to raise a child
- brought up adjective
- raised in a certain way
- well-brought-up adjective
- polite and well raised
Commonly confused: upbringing or education?
upbringing vs education
Education is formal teaching, while upbringing happens mostly at home.
Practice
Her polite manners came from a careful ____ at home.
Choose one answer.
Upbringing means how a child is raised. Uprising means a revolt.
Make it your own
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