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).

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noun

plural

whereases

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

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

Etymology

Origin of whereas

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

Example Sentences

He now expects wafer-fab-equipment revenue to hit $140 billion in 2026 and $171 billion in 2027 across the industry, whereas he was previously forecasting $131 billion and $150 billion, respectively.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

"Normally, it's kind of a handful of countries, whereas it's only been one so far this time."

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The Pfizer-Valneva vaccine is different from Lymerix in that it protects against six strains of the disease, whereas Lymerix protected against only one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Cities are squalid crime hives that need to be tamed or abandoned in the Sheridanverse, whereas small towns and Western vistas are quaint canvases fertile with possibility.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

First, no cereal crops were domesticated in New Guinea, whereas several vitally important ones were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent, Sahel, and China.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond