whereas

American  

[hwair-, wair-az] / ʰwɛər-, wɛərˈæz /

conjunction

1. while on the contrary.

   One arrived promptly, whereas the others hung back.

2. it being the case that, or considering that (used especially in formal preambles).

---

noun

whereases plural

1. a qualifying or introductory statement, especially one having “whereas” as the first word.

   to read the whereases in the will.

whereas British  

/ wɛərˈæz /

conjunction

1. (coordinating) but on the other hand

   I like to go swimming whereas Sheila likes to sail

---

1. (in formal documents to begin sentences) it being the case that; since

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• whereases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of whereas

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English wheras; equivalent to where + as ¹

Example Sentences

After 15 weeks of drawdowns, gasoline stockpiles rose in the week that ended May 29, the latest figures available, whereas analysts polled by the Wall Street Journal had expected another decline.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

But whereas Wales are well stocked out wide with the likes of Daniel James, Harry Wilson, Brennan Johnson, David Brooks and Sorba Thomas among their options, they have a shortage of genuine strikers.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Because CBS News only airs a few hours a week of programming whereas CNN is 24/7, and it has international reach.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Mr. Sánchez promises to destroy that model, whereas Ms. Fujimori is expected largely to defend it.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

But whereas I thought the big news today was Grandpa’s eloping, the first thing Papa said was something about the average life span in America being forty-seven years.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns