thus
Americanadverb
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in the way just indicated; in this way.
Stated thus, the problem seems trivial.
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in such or the following manner; so.
Thus it came to pass.
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accordingly; consequently.
It is late, and thus you must go.
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to this extent or degree.
thus far.
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as an example; for instance.
adverb
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in this manner
do it thus
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to such a degree
thus far and no further
Usage
See thusly.
Etymology
Origin of thus
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch dus
Explanation
Use the adverb thus in place of words like therefore or so when you want to sound proper. Use thus interchangeably with words like consequently, ergo, hence, and just like that. For example, if you want to sound fancy you could say no one showed up for water aerobics, thus the class was cancelled. It had to be thus. Thus is also, rarely, a noun that means a good-smelling gum resin from trees that we don't really use anymore.
Vocabulary lists containing thus
The Gettysburg Address, List 2
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"The Sun Rising" by John Donne
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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.
Among educational institutions, Chemerinsky points out, only Harvard has stood up for itself in court — and it has been successful, thus far.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
With the verdict, Singapore should now treat these children as victims of trafficking and thus give them protection, she argued.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The United States, Britain, China, France and Russia thus have the future of the world body in their hands.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Wrestling with the physics of a school bus-sized prop was a way for the filmmakers—and thus the audience—to experience something closer to a real world, van Hoytema said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Incorrigibles had decided to sort Miss Mortimer’s books by color, thus making an attractive rainbow pattern on the bookshelves.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
