whence
Americanadverb
-
from what place?.
Whence comest thou?
-
from what source, origin, or cause?.
Whence has he wisdom?
conjunction
adverb
pronoun
Usage
Although sometimes criticized as redundant on the grounds that “from” is implied by the word whence, the idiom from whence is old in the language, well established, and standard. Among its users are the King James Bible, Shakespeare, Dryden, and Dickens: Hilary finally settled in Paris, from whence she bombarded us with letters, postcards, and sketches. From thence, a parallel construction, occurs infrequently.
The expression from whence should be avoided, since whence already means from which place: the tradition whence (not from whence ) such ideas flowed
Etymology
Origin of whence
1250–1300; Middle English whennes, whannes, equivalent to whanne (by syncope from Old English hwanone whence) + -s -s 1
Explanation
Use the adverb whence as an old-fashioned way to say "from which" or "from where." If you found a hundred dollar bill on the ground, you might ask, "Whence did this money come?" Not many people use the word whence these days — you're most likely to hear it in a Shakespeare play or if a speaker is trying to sound especially formal. Many people say, "from whence," as in "Throw that fish back in the sea from whence it came," although strictly speaking the "from" is unnecessary. Instead, a dinner party guest could ask, "Whence came this delicious fish?"
Vocabulary lists containing whence
Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Twelfth Night
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The Awakening
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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.
An anniversary of 9/11 arrived Saturday, and the question was the same as it has been for 20 Septembers: Whence America’s memorial music?
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2021
Apart from taking it easy on the reverend, the biggest mistake Kimmy can make is not investigating what her fiancé calls her Whence Thither book.
From Slate • May 12, 2020
Whence the debility, the infantile degeneration of this imaginary.
From Salon • Jan. 5, 2020
Whence comes “She Loves You” or “Help” or “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”? The alchemy of great music is particularly resistant to analysis.
From Washington Post • Jan. 10, 2019
‘A halfling, and in the livery of the Tower! Whence...?’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
