thereof
Americanadverb
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of that or it.
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from or out of that origin or cause.
adverb
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of or concerning that or it
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from or because of that
Usage
What does thereof mean? Thereof means of, from, because of, or concerning the thing that was just mentioned, as in The warranty covers the device and the parts thereof (translation: The warranty covers the device and the parts of the device). Thereof is fairly formal. It’s often used in legal language, but it can also be used in everyday speech and writing. Thereof is perhaps most commonly used in the phrase lack thereof, meaning the lack of the thing just mentioned. This is used in cases in which something is mentioned in a general way but the situation being discussed involves the lack of that thing, as in Most relationship problems are due to communication, or a lack thereof (translation: Most relationship problems are due to communication issues, specifically a lack of communication). Other common phrases that use the word are combination thereof (meaning a combination of the things just mentioned) and portion thereof (meaning a portion of the things just mentioned). Example: My research is focused on investigating the cause of the disease and the effects thereof.
Etymology
Origin of thereof
before 1000; Middle English therof, Old English thǣrof. See there, of 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After all, since his debut release, 2009’s Air and Lack Thereof, his music has done nothing of the sort, refusing to calcify into one lasting shape or formula.
From The Guardian • Feb. 5, 2019
Follow the Money, or Lack Thereof: The flip side of that debate, however, was exemplified on CNN Wednesday morning, when host Chris Cuomo challenged Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Democrat whose district includes Baltimore.
From US News • May 6, 2015
Q. Hygiene or Lack Thereof: My significant other’s two boys stay with us every other weekend.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2014
The bell gets its name from its inscription, which comes from Leviticus: "Proclaim Liberty Thro' all the Land to all the Inhabitants Thereof."
From Seattle Times • Jun. 16, 2010
She sets a copy of Physics in Magic: The Often Lack Thereof on the table in front of her.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
