hence

[ hens ]
See synonyms for hence on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. as an inference from this fact; for this reason; therefore: The eggs were very fresh and hence satisfactory.

  2. from this time; from now: They will leave a month hence.

  1. from this source or origin.

  2. Archaic.

    • from this place; from here; away: The inn is but a quarter mile hence.

    • from this world or from the living: After a long, hard life they were taken hence.

    • henceforth; from this time on.

interjection
  1. Obsolete. depart (usually used imperatively).

Origin of hence

1
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English hens, hennes, equivalent to henne (Old English heonan ) + -es adverb suffix; see -s1

Words that may be confused with hence

Words Nearby hence

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

How to use hence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hence

hence

/ (hɛns) /


sentence connector
  1. for this reason; following from this; therefore

adverb
  1. from this time: a year hence

  2. archaic

    • from here or from this world; away

    • from this origin or source

interjection
  1. archaic begone! away!

Origin of hence

1
Old English hionane; related to Old High German hinana away from here, Old Irish cen on this side

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