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

In a brief court filing late Thursday, lawyers for the administration wrote that "Defendants hereby appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit."

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

“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

"We are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately," he wrote on social media.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

Mr. Poe took Count Olaf’s arm and, after a brief eruption of coughs, announced in a harsh voice, “I hereby arrest you in the name of the law.”

From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket