English

Adverb

therefore ‎(not comparable)

1. (conjunctive) For that or this purpose, referring to something previously stated.
   • 1611, Bible (KJV), Luke 14:20:

     I have married a wife, and therefore I can not come.

   • 1611, Bible (KJV), Matthew 19:27:

     Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

2. (conjunctive) Consequently, by or in consequence of that or this cause; referring to something previously stated.
   • 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

• (for that purpose): so, thus, to that end, to this end
• (consequently): hence, then, thus, accordingly, as a result, ∴ (math)

Derived terms

• I think; therefore I am

Translations

See also

• (‘here-’ words) here; hereabout, hereabouts, hereafter, hereagain, hereagainst, hereas, hereat, herebefore, hereby, herefore, herefrom, herein, hereinafter, hereinbefore, hereinto, hereof, hereon, hereto, heretofore, hereunder, hereunto, hereupon, herewith, herewithal
• (‘there-’ words) there; thereabout, thereabouts, thereafter, thereagain, thereagainst, thereamong, thereas, thereat, therebefore, therebeside, thereby, therefore, therefrom, therein, thereinafter, thereinbefore, thereinto, thereof, thereon, thereto, theretofore, thereunder, thereunto, thereupon, therewith, therewithal
• (‘where-’ words) where; whereabout, whereabouts, whereafter, whereagain, whereagainst, whereamong, whereas, whereat, wherebefore, whereby, wherefore, wherefrom, wherein, whereinafter, whereinbefore, whereinto, whereof, whereon, whereto, wheretofore, whereunder, whereunto, whereupon, wherewith, wherewithal

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