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Whereas vs Because - What's the difference?

whereas | because |

In obsolete terms the difference between whereas and because

is that whereas is where (that) while because is so that, in order that.

As a noun whereas

is a clause, as in legal documents, stating whereas.

As a preposition because is

on account of, because of.

whereas

English

Alternative forms

* (rare)

Adverb

(-)
  • (obsolete) Where (that).
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , I.iii:
  • And home she came, whereas her mother blynd / Sate in eternall night [...].

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • In contrast; whilst on the contrary.
  • He came first in the race whereas his brother came last.
  • It being the fact that; inasmuch as
  • * United States Articles of Confederation
  • And Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of, and to authorize us to ratify the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union.

    Usage notes

    * Whereas is used in the second sense principally in legal documents, formal resolutions of corporate bodies, and the like.

    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

    Noun

    (es)
  • A clause, as in legal documents, stating whereas.
  • * 1883 , The Insurance Law Journal
  • ...the promise is stated after a whereas , though the promise is the very gist of the action, yet, such a count so framed, will be held good on demurrer.
  • * 1908 , United States Congress, Hearings beginning March 9, 1908-April 30, 1908
  • It had a page or so of whereases .
  • * 1961 , Aluminum Workers' International Union, Biennial Convention
  • I feel it is most unfortunate that some of the preambles, prefaces, whereases or whatever you want to call it, are put before motions or before resolutions...
  • * 1973 , Canadian Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Proceedings
  • If it is the desire of any Lodge on the floor that the whereases that were listed in their original Resolution be quoted by the Chairman or by the Secretary...

    because

    English

    Alternative forms

    * 'cause, cos, cuz, coz, 'cos, 'cuz, 'coz,

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (archaic) For the reason (that ).
  • * 1611 , Authorized King James Version of Genesis 2:3:
  • And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
  • On account (of''), for sake (''of ).
  • I ruined my life because of you!
  • Derived terms

    * because of * just because

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katrina G. Claw
  • , title= Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm , volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.}}
  • * , chapter=17
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“Perhaps it is because I have been excommunicated. It's absurd, but I feel like the Jackdaw of Rheims.”  ¶ She winced and bowed her head. Each time that he spoke flippantly of the Church he caused her pain.}}
  • As is known, inferred, or determined from the fact that.
  • (obsolete) So that, in order that.
  • *, II.3.2:
  • Simonset the house on fire where he was born, because nobody should point at it.

    Synonyms

    * (for the reason that) therefore, since, for, for that, forthy, for sake, forwhy, as, inasmuch as, (mathematics symbol)

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • * 2012' October 20, "D.F. Manno" (username), ''GOP deadbeat dad: No abortion exceptions '''because SCIENCE!'', in alt.fan.cecil-adams, ''Usenet
  • * 2013' November 19, Megan Garber, ''English Has a New Preposition, '''Because Internet :
  • Linguists are recognizing the delightful evolution of the word "because."
    Let's start with the dull stuff, because pragmatism.
  • * 2013 December 6, (Donald Glover) ((Childish Gambino)), (Because the Internet)
  • Derived terms

    * because reasons

    Statistics

    *

    References

    * Glossa'', volume 17 (1997), page 175: cf. Emonds 1976:175 on the analysis of Modern English ''because as a preposition introducing a clause 200 English basic words