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.
"Additionally, we can control the size of the trap, and thus the properties of the light, using an external electric voltage."
From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2026
Implicit in all this is protection for the several million American citizens who live in Mexico, the largest community of U.S. expatriates, who have thus far mostly been spared cartel violence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Intel has thus far missed out on much of the revenue generated by trillions of dollars being invested into AI data centers.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Amex plans to “reinvest its superior performance” into areas like cardmember acquisitions and thus is keeping its full-year outlook intact, Le Caillec said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
That same 7 percent loss would thus wipe out, entirely, any CDO made up of triple-B bonds, no matter what rating was assigned it.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
