whereby

[wair-bahy, hwair-]

conjunction

1. by what or by which; under the terms of which.

2. Obsolete.,  by what? how?

whereby

/ wɛəˈbaɪ /

pronoun

1. by or because of which

   the means whereby he took his life

adverb

1. archaic,  how? by what means?

   whereby does he recognize me?

Word History and Origins

Origin of whereby¹

First recorded in 1150–1200, whereby is from the Middle English word wherby. See where, by

Example Sentences

Fracking is a method of mining that first became widespread in the US in the early 2000s, whereby a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected into the ground.

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Shortly afterward, Peak announced an agreement with Shenghe whereby the Chinese company would receive between 75% to 100% of the mine’s output for seven years.

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The Japanese are very big savers and the yen is a major funding currency for the carry trade — whereby investors short the low-yielding, generally depreciating yen to fund riskier wagers on other assets in other currencies — and its weakness since spring has partly boosted demand for tech and AI-related stocks in America.

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This is the phenomenon whereby, after weeks of excitedly shopping for straw hats and suitable luggage, making lists of what to pack and what to leave behind, purchasing bug repellent and checking weather reports, and then traveling by foot, aeroplane, tramp steamer, hot-air balloon, or what you please, you arrive, finally, in Mahi-Mahi or Ahwoo-Ahwoo or some other rare and spectacular locale, only to discover that you would much prefer to be at home.

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As Dickens must have observed, the often gnarly sounds of English words seem to have sprouted directly from the soil of the British Isles, whereby, in order to utter them, we had to heft the vocal counterparts of stones or cut through auditory brambles.

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