therefore

[ thair-fawr, -fohr ]
See synonyms for therefore on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. in consequence of that; as a result; consequently: I think; therefore I am.

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Origin of therefore

1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English ther(e)fore, variant of therfor therefor

synonym study For therefore

Therefore, wherefore, accordingly, consequently, so, then all introduce a statement resulting from, or caused by, what immediately precedes. Therefore (for this or that reason) and wherefore (for which reason) imply exactness of reasoning; they are especially used in logic, law, mathematics, etc., and in a formal style of speaking or writing. Accordingly (in conformity with the preceding) and consequently (as a result, or sequence, or effect of the preceding), although also somewhat formal, occur mainly in less technical contexts. So (because the preceding is true or this being the case) and then (since the preceding is true) are informal or conversational in tone.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use therefore in a sentence

  • I, therefore, deliver it as a maxim, that whoever desires the character of a proud man ought to conceal his vanity.

    Pearls of Thought | Maturin M. Ballou
  • But if God made man, then God is responsible for all man's acts and thoughts, and therefore man cannot sin against God.

    God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford
  • I am therefore quite sure I shall be content to await his father's consent, should it not come these many years.

  • An estimation of the solids, therefore, furnishes an important clue to the functional efficiency of the kidneys.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • I shall therefore, in my effort to prove the Bible fallible, quote almost wholly from Christian critics.

    God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford

British Dictionary definitions for therefore

therefore

/ (ˈðɛəˌfɔː) /


sentence connector
  1. thus; hence: used to mark an inference on the speaker's part: those people have their umbrellas up: therefore, it must be raining

  2. consequently; as a result: they heard the warning on the radio and therefore took another route

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012