Bare on

Synonyms for bear on/bear upon
verb concern

affect
apply
involve

relate to
appertain to
belong to

pertain to
refer to
touch upon

Synonyms
verb concern

affect
apply
involve

relate to
appertain to
bear upon

belong to
pertain to
refer to

touch upon

Antonyms

be immaterial

be irrelevant

be of no consequence

Usage Notes

Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear1. Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility. Borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience. Born is also an adjective meaning “by birth,” “innate,” or “native”: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.