conj
Freq #42321
Meanings
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1
conj
immediately after which or as a consequence of which
The alarm sounded, whereupon everyone left the building calmly.
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2
conj
formal: on which or upon which
They reached a rocky ledge whereupon a small shelter had been built.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English wherupon, a compound of where + upon. Its older spatial meaning 'upon which' survives in formal writing, while the more common narrative use marks what happened immediately afterward or as a result.