Hence
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈhɛns/
- Rhymes: -ɛns
Origin
A later Middle English spelling, retaining the breathy -s, of hennes, (henne + adverbial genitive ending -s), from Old English heonan ("away", "hence"), from a West Germanic root *hin- (compare Old Saxon hinan, Old High German hinnan, German hinnen, Dutch heen, Swedish hän); related to Old English her ("here").
Full definition of hence
Adverb
hence
- (archaic) from here, from this place, awayI'm going hence, because you have insulted me.Get thee hence, Satan!
- c.1599-1601, William Shakespeare, '', Act 4, Scene 1,O Gertrude, come away!
The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch,
But we will ship him hence: - 1849, Arthur Hugh Clough, ,Ye men of Galilee!
Why stand ye looking up to heaven, where Him ye ne’er may see,
Neither ascending hence, nor returning hither again? - (archaic, figuratively) from the living or from this world''After a long battle, my poor daughter was taken hence.
- (archaic, of a length of time) in the future from now''A year hence it will be forgotten.
- (conjunctive) as a result; therefore, for this reason''I shall go to Japan and hence will not be here in time for the party.''The purse is handmade and hence very expensive.
- 1910, Sun Tzu, Lionel Giles (translator), , Section VI: Weak Points and Strong, 8,Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
- 1910, 1513, Niccolò Machiavelli, Ninian Hill Thomson (translator), , Chapter VI,Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
- 1731 May 27, Benjamin Franklin, , published in ,That hence arises the peculiar Unhappiness of that Business, which other Callings are no way liable to;
- (temporal location) from this time, from now''The plane will leave two months hence.
Synonyms
- (as a result; therefore, for this reason) consequently