therefore

See also: therefor and therfore

English

Etymology

From Middle English therfore, therfor, tharfore, thorfore, equivalent to there (pronomial adverb) +‎ for. Compare Saterland Frisian deerfoar, Dutch daarvoor, German dafür, Danish and Norwegian derfor, Swedish därför.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈðɛəfɔː/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈðɛəɹfɔɹ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: there‧fore
  • Homophone: therefor (second syllable stressed)

Adverb

therefore (not comparable)

  1. (conjunctive) For that or this purpose, referring to something previously stated.
  2. (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.
    • 1637, René Descartes, Discourse on the Method:
      Je pense, donc je suis (I think, therefore I am)
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, in The Celebrity:
      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.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Spectator
      He blushes; therefore he is guilty.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations
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Translations to be checked

See also
    Here-, there- and where- words
    here hereabouthereaboutshereafterhereatherebeforeherebyhereforeherefromhereinhereinafterhereinbeforehereintohereofhereonheretoheretoforehereunderhereuntohereuponherewithherewithal
    there thereaboutthereaboutsthereafterthereagainthereagainstthereamongtherearoundthereasthereattherebeforetherebesidetherebythereforetherefromthereinthereinafterthereinbeforethereintothereofthereontheretotheretoforethereunderthereuntothereupontherewiththerewithal
    where whereaboutwhereaboutswhereafterwhereagainstwhereamongwhereaswhereatwherebywhereforewherefromwhereinwhereinafterwhereinbeforewhereintowhereofwhereonwheretowheretoforewhereunderwhereuntowhereuponwherewithwherewithal
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