What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Whence vs Whereby - What's the difference?

whence | whereby |

As adverbs the difference between whence and whereby

is that whence is from where; from which place or source while whereby is by what, in which direction; how.

As a conjunction whence

is used for introducing the result of a fact that has just been stated

whence

English

Adverb

(-)
  • From where; from which place or source.
  • Whence came I?
    "Pork" comes from French, whence we get most of our modern cooking terms.
  • * 1818 , (Mary Shelley), , Chapter 4:
  • Whence , I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed?
  • * 1898 , , Chapter 3:
  • 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)
  • (literary, poetic) (used for introducing the result of a fact that has just been stated)
  • 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.

    Antonyms

    * (l)

    whereby

    English

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (interrogative, obsolete) By what, in which direction; how
  • By which.
  • * 1990 , Local management of schools , Kogan Page Ltd:
  • Other heads saw devolution as a whole new way of life and adopted an approach whereby the power of devolution was used to enable the school to drive the curriculum.
  • (nonstandard) Where.
  • * 1992 , The hotel receptionist , Paige, Jane and Paige, Grace, Cassell Educational:
  • This is an electronic system whereby executives are issued with small bleepers.

    Usage notes

    Use of whereby as a formal equivalent of where'' is nonstandard and is avoided by careful speakers and writers, who use ''where'' or ''in which instead. The term typically fails readability and comprehension review so it is generally avoided in published works. The term is also avoided by speakers as it makes it difficult to understand the message that is trying to be communicated.

    See also

    * thereabout, thereafter, thereagainst, thereat, thereby, therefor, therefore, therefrom, therein, thereinafter, thereof, thereon, thereto, theretofore, thereunder, thereunto, thereupon, therewith, therewithal * hereabout, hereafter, hereat, hereby, herein, hereinafter, hereinbefore, hereinto, hereof, hereon, hereto, heretofore, hereunto, hereunder, hereupon, herewith * whereabouts, whereas, whereafter, whereat, whereby, wherefore, wherefrom, wherein, whereinto, whereof, whereon, whereto, whereunder, whereupon, wherever, wherewith, wherewithal English pronominal adverbs