upbringing

American  

[uhp-bring-ing] / ˈʌpˌbrɪŋ ɪŋ /

noun

1. the care and training of young children or a particular type of such care and training.

   His religious upbringing fitted him to be a missionary.

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upbringing British  

/ ˈʌpˌbrɪŋɪŋ /

noun

1. Also called: bringing-up.  the education of a person during his formative years

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Etymology

Origin of upbringing

First recorded in 1475–85; gerund of upbring “to rear children” (obsolete since the 16th century)

Explanation

Your upbringing is how you were raised as a child. You might have had a rough upbringing or a gentler one, but at least you made it this far. Looking at the base “bring” in upbringing, we find a Germanic origin meaning "to carry." You might consider the "carry" idea as a way to remember the word, considering a parent "carries" a child to adulthood, providing what then becomes the child’s upbringing.

Example Sentences

He has said his upbringing left him "quite cynical" of the role of the state compared with many Labour colleagues, aware of its failings as well as its potential to enable opportunity.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Tell us about your upbringing in Nebraska and how you developed the values and principles that you have carried through your life.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

According to the study, much of that connection appears to be tied to genetics rather than upbringing alone.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

During part of their discussion, they explored what made Blume’s writing so revolutionary for young readers and how her own surprisingly frank upbringing gave her the freedom to go there.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

“The girl has been thoughtless and headstrong at times. But her upbringing has been such as to encourage that.”

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare