hereby

American  

[heer-bahy, heer-bahy] / hɪərˈbaɪ, ˈhɪərˌbaɪ /

adverb

1. by this, or the present, declaration, action, document, etc.; by means of this; as a result of this.

   I hereby resign as president of the class.

2. Obsolete. nearby.

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hereby British  

/ ˌhɪəˈbaɪ /

adverb

1. (used in official statements, proclamations, etc) by means of or as a result of this

2. archaic nearby

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Etymology

Origin of hereby

1200–50; Middle English. See here, by

Explanation

Use the adverb hereby to mean "as a result of what I'm saying right now." For example, your bus driver might announce, "All cellphones on the bus must hereby be turned off and put away." The word hereby is especially useful for people who are issuing proclamations or reading from formal documents. A king might once have declared, "These lands are all hereby claimed in the name of me, the king!" And when you're on a long family car trip your dad might shout, "I hereby announce that I am in charge of the radio!" Hereby has been used in English since the thirteenth century.

Example Sentences

"We hereby announce Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as president," parliament speaker Aung Lin Dwe announced from a stage in the parliament meeting hall.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“GameStop, acting under its authority as a Neutral Entity and The World’s Retail Gaming & Trade-in Destination, hereby declares the official cessation of the console wars,” GameStop said.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025

“Based on their egregious behavior, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated,” the president wrote.

From Salon • Oct. 24, 2025

The filings states that the plaintiff "hereby gives notice that the... action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice".

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

And she got results: the Maryland State Senate sent a resolution on fancy paper, saying, “Be it hereby known to all that The Senate of Maryland offers its sincerest congratulations to Henrietta Lacks.”

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot