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; see -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.
"Taiwanese divers call it 'sesame' in Chinese and it is also small like a sesame seed, hence the name," the research team explained.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
"We have some fabulous donations," said Julian, adding that because of the quality of them, "we can put good prices on things, and hence we make the money."
From BBC • May 19, 2026
A $100 bet on the Invesco Solar ETF in 2008 would be worth $34 today, hence solar energy’s reputation as a profitless growth story.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
All good things take decades, and hence we invested not for 10 years, but for 40 years.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
In ancient music-making, pitch was fixed - defined - only by the length of your string or pipe, hence the need for a label like ‘A’ to denote the same sound made on different-shaped instruments.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
