hence
Americanadverb
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as an inference from this fact; for this reason; therefore.
The eggs were very fresh and hence satisfactory.
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from this time; from now.
They will leave a month hence.
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from this source or origin.
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Archaic.
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from this place; from here; away.
The inn is but a quarter mile hence.
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from this world or from the living.
After a long, hard life they were taken hence.
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henceforth; from this time on.
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interjection
adverb
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from this time
a year hence
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archaic
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from here or from this world; away
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from this origin or source
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interjection
Etymology
Origin of hence
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English hens, hennes, equivalent to henne ( Old English heonan ) + -es adverb suffix; -s 1
Explanation
Hence means "for this reason," or "therefore." One Hollywood starlet is a huge fan of tiny dogs, hence the Pomeranian puppy peeking out of her purse. Hence not only means "therefore." It can also mean forward from this time. Nine months hence, a baby that has just been conceived will enter the world kicking and screaming. These days, you're more likely to hear the word hence in a movie set a hundred years ago than in casual conversation because it has a very old-fashioned ring to it.
Vocabulary lists containing hence
"The Road Not Taken"
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 2
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We Dream of Space
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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.
Tasting the coffee properly requires slurping it with gusto, hence the music to mask the sounds of dozens of people slurping and spitting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
They have a fixed amount of shares in circulation — hence they are closed-ended, as opposed to “open-ended” mutual funds and ETFs.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026
"They are a team which is creaking, hence why they played a back five," added Robinson.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
The latter aren’t presidential appointees and hence are beyond Mr. Trump’s reach.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
By all rights, however, such a portrait ought to be much more straightforward than this and, hence, less memorable.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
