Therefore vs Whence - What's the difference?
therefore | whence |
(conjunctive) For that or this purpose, referring to something previously stated.
*
*
(conjunctive) Consequently, by or in consequence of that or this cause; referring to something previously stated.
* , title=(Discourse on the Method)
, passage=Je pense, donc je suis (I think, therefore I am)}}
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1
, passage=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,
* {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April, author=
, volume=100, issue=2, page=171, magazine=(American Scientist)
, title= * (rfdate), Spectator
From where; from which place or source.
* 1818 , (Mary Shelley), , Chapter 4:
* 1898 , , Chapter 3:
*
*
(literary, poetic) (used for introducing the result of a fact that has just been stated)
As adverbs the difference between therefore and whence
is that therefore is for that or this purpose, referring to something previously stated while whence is from where; from which place or source.As a conjunction whence is
used for introducing the result of a fact that has just been statedtherefore
English
Adverb
(-)- I have married a wife, and therefore I can not come.
- Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore ?
Well-connected Brains, passage=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.}}
- He blushes; therefore he is guilty.
Synonyms
* (for that purpose) so, thus, to that end, to this end * (consequently) hence, then, thus, accordingly, as a result, (math)Derived terms
*See also
*whence
English
Adverb
(-)- Whence came I?
- "Pork" comes from French, whence we get most of our modern cooking terms.
- Whence , I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed?
- At first I could not tell what this new sound was, nor whence it came, and now it seemed a little noise close by, and now a great noise in the distance. And then it grew nearer and more defined, and in a moment I knew it was the sound of voices talking.
Usage notes
* This word is uncommon in modern usage; from where'' is now usually substituted (as in the example sentence: ''Where did I come from?'' or ''From where did I come? ). It is now chiefly encountered in older works, or in poetic or literary writing. * From whence has a strong literary precedent, appearing in Shakespeare and the King James Bible as well as in the writings of numerous Victorian-era writers. In recent times, however, it has been criticized as redundant by usage commentators.Conjunction
(English Conjunctions)- The work is slow and dangerous, whence the high costs.
- I scored more than you in the exam, whence we can conclude that I am better at the subject than you are.