The Chinese word 伸张 (shēnzhāng) is formed through the compounding of two synonymous or semantically related characters: 伸 (shēn), meaning "to stretch" or "to extend", and 张 (zhāng), meaning "to open up", "to spread", or "to expand". Together, they create a metaphorical and abstract compound verb where the individual meanings of physical extension and expansion blend to convey the figurative sense of "to uphold", "to promote", or "to see that justice is done", typically in the context of abstract principles like justice, righteousness, or causes, implying the act of causing something to be fully realized or widely acknowledged.