thereat

[ thair-at ]

adverb

1. at that place or time; there:

   Seeing the gate, they entered thereat.

2. because of that; thereupon.

thereat

/ ˌðɛərˈæt /

adverb

1. at that point or time
2. for that reason

Word History and Origins

Origin of thereat¹

before 900; Middle English ther at, Old English thǣr æt. See there, at ¹

Example Sentences

Augustus Theodore Brammel heard of the stoppage whilst he was at breakfast, sipping chocolate; and greatly he rejoiced thereat.

From Project Gutenberg

Thereat was Harald glad, and fared to Astrid with a great following of men.

From Project Gutenberg

Thereat were the Icelanders witnesses and hearkened to the fair singing and the ringing of bells.

From Project Gutenberg

We must remember that this chances to be the very best moment of the whole year in which to see the Cape and the dwellers thereat.

From Project Gutenberg

But perceiving that he had the food all ready prepared they were much astonished thereat.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Thereat

What does thereat mean?

Thereat means at the place or time that was just mentioned, as in After the completion of the new auditorium, all meetings will be held thereat (translation: After the completion of the new auditorium, all meetings will be held there).

Thereat is formal and is often used in legal language.

Thereat can also mean because of the thing just mentioned or for that reason, as in I can no longer effectively fulfil my duties, and thereat I resign. A synonym for this sense of the word is thereupon.

Example: They calculated the exact time of the eclipse and decided to meet thereat.

Where does thereat come from?

The first records of the word thereon come from before 900.

There are many similar words based on the combination of the word there and a preposition, each of which has a different meaning, including thereabout, thereabouts, thereafter, thereby, therefor, therefore, therefrom, therein, thereinafter, thereinto, thereof, thereon, theretofore, thereunder, thereupon, therewith, and therewithal.

Other words are constructed in similar ways, such as whereat, meaning “at which,” as in the location whereat the incident took place (translation: the location at which the incident took place).

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for thereat?

• there
• thereupon
• for that reason

What are some words that share a root or word element with thereat? 

• thereabout
• thereabouts
• thereafter
• thereby
• therefor
• therefore
• therein
• thereinafter
• thereinto
• thereof
• thereto
• theretofore
• thereunder
• therewith
• therewithal
• whereat

What are some words that often get used in discussing thereat?

• meet
• time
• place
• point

How is thereat used in real life?

Thereat is formal and is often used in legal language.

[L]et a day be solemnly set apart for proclaiming the charter; let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the Word of God; let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarchy, that in America the law is king – Thomas Paine 1776

— Harvey J Kaye (@harveyjkaye) February 11, 2021

#TaxTip Make sure you know the difference between occupancy and running costs for your business and the tax effects thereon.

— Janna Fikh (@FletcherTax) July 11, 2010

@NYmoderate Hard to find scientific articles in peer reviewed journals that don't support climate change and man's impact thereon.

— Ned Witting (@nedwitting) May 12, 2014

Try using thereat!

Is thereat used correctly in the following sentence?

He had completed his quest, and thereat he was happy.