whereof

American

[wair-uhv, -ov, hwair-] / wɛərˈʌv, -ˈɒv, ʰwɛər- /

adverb

of what, which, or whom.

whereof British

/ wɛərˈɒv /

adverb

of what or which person or thing?

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pronoun

of which (person or thing)

the man whereof I speak is no longer alive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of whereof

First recorded in 1150–1200, whereof is from the Middle English word wherof. See where, of ¹

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.

Karmel knew whereof he quipped — he’d been fat his whole life and at one point during his “Late Late” tenure topped the scales at 420 pounds.

From Los Angeles Times

Frankel knows whereof she writes.

From Los Angeles Times

Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited in the Nevada constitution “otherwise than in the punishment for crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”

From Seattle Times

Constitution, which states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

From Seattle Times

According to Wittgenstein, “whereof we cannot speak, thereof must we be silent,” and though “Saint Omer” is a film saturated in discourse, its silences are where its deepest insight resides.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023