therefore
English
Etymology
From Middle English therfore, therfor, tharfore, thorfore; synchronically a univerbation of there (pronominal adverb) + for, literally “for that (reason)”. The spelling has been changed due to a reanalysis as there + fore (literally “forward from that; thence”). See also therefor, ultimately the same formation.
Compare Saterland Frisian deerfoar, Dutch daarvoor, German dafür, Danish and Norwegian derfor, Swedish därför.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈðɛəfɔː/
- (General American) enPR: thârʹfôr, IPA(key): /ˈðɛɚ.fɔɹ/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈðɜːɹˌfɔːɹ/[1]
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)fɔː(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: there‧fore
Adverb
therefore (not comparable)
- (conjunctive) Consequently, by or in consequence of that or this cause; referring to something previously stated.
- Traditional values will always have a place. Therefore, they will never lose relevance.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 14:20:
- I have married a wife, and therefore I can not come.
- 1637, René Descartes, Discourse on the Method:
- Je pense, donc je suis (I think, therefore I am)
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
- In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […] , and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.
- 2012 March-April, Terrence J. Sejnowski, “Well-connected Brains”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 171:
- Creating a complete map of the human connectome would therefore be a monumental milestone but not the end of the journey to understanding how our brains work.
- 1753, The Spectator, number 642:
- He blushes; therefore he is innocent.
- (conjunctive, archaic) for that; for it (in reference to a previous statement)
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 19:27:
- Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Synonyms
- (for that purpose): so, thus, to that end, to this end
- (consequently): hence, then, thus, accordingly, as a result, thereby, eo ipso, ∴ (math); See also Thesaurus:therefore
Derived terms
Translations
consequently; by consequence — see also consequently
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for that or this reason
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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See also
- (about): hereabout, thereabout, whereabout
- (abouts): hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts
- (after): hereafter, thereafter, whereafter
- (again): thereagain
- (against): hereagainst, thereagainst, whereagainst
- (among): hereamong, thereamong, whereamong
- (amongst): thereamongst, whereamongst
- (around): therearound, wherearound
- (as): thereas, whereas
- (at): hereat, thereat, whereat
- (before): herebefore, therebefore
- (beside): therebeside
- (between): therebetween, wherebetween
- (by): hereby, thereby, whereby
- (for): herefor, therefor, wherefor
- (fore): herefore, therefore, wherefore
- (from): herefrom, therefrom, wherefrom
- (hence): herehence, therehence
- (in): herein, therein, wherein
- (in after): hereinafter, thereinafter, whereinafter
- (in before): hereinbefore, thereinbefore, whereinbefore
- (into): hereinto, thereinto, whereinto
- (of): hereof, thereof, whereof
- (on): hereon, thereon, whereon
- (out): hereout, thereout, whereout
- (to): hereto, thereto, whereto
- (tofore): heretofore, theretofore, wheretofore
- (under): hereunder, thereunder, whereunder
- (unto): hereunto, thereunto, whereunto
- (upon): hereupon, thereupon, whereupon
- (with): herewith, therewith, wherewith
- (withal): herewithal, therewithal, wherewithal
References
- Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9), volumes I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 4.36, page 124.
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