therefore

adverb

there·​fore ˈt͟her-ˌfȯr How to pronounce therefore (audio)
Synonyms of thereforenext
: for that reason : because of that : consequently
Payment was received two weeks after it was due; therefore, you will be charged a late fee.
The cell phone is thin and light and therefore very convenient to carry around.

Examples of therefore in a Sentence

To understand what has happened to the earth's atmosphere—and, therefore, how our climate might change in the future—some ice-core scientists in the Arctic are training their eyes directly downward. Bryan Walsh, Time, 18 Aug. 2008
Most Irish jump racing—and therefore most of the racing discussed in the book—is the laid-back pastime of enthusiasts … Max Watman, New York Times Book Review, 9 Apr. 2006
A good approach to finding out what makes us humans so darn special would therefore be to get complete maps of the human and chimp genomes, and compare the two. John Derbyshire, National Review, 7 Nov. 2005
Characteristically, however, Darwinists, like primitive economists, assume that what is humane—I use the word here, unexceptionably, as I believe, to mean whatever arises from the desire to mitigate competition and to put aside self-interest—is unnatural, and therefore wrong. Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, (1998) 2005
I was once sitting behind a newspaper in the Swansea common room while two engineers, i.e. lecturers in engineering, therefore by common consent philistines, chatted together. Kingsley Amis, Memoirs, 1991
The cell phone is thin and light and therefore very convenient to carry around. Payment was received two weeks after it was due; therefore, you will be charged a late fee.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The grid of international borders must therefore be ever more militarized, or else the system of states—which is now explicitly a class system, whose functioning depends on mass immobilization—cannot work. Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 Out of these theories, the last seemed the most speculative, personal, and, therefore, pertinent. Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026 And therefore Semenyo, more than anyone else on the pitch at Wembley on Saturday, knows what this competition is all about. Michael Cox, New York Times, 17 May 2026 Rural areas also used to be thought of as less financially well-off and therefore less desirable for retailers. Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for therefore

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of therefore was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Therefore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/therefore. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

therefore

adverb
there·​fore ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌfō(ə)r How to pronounce therefore (audio)
ˈt͟he(ə)r-
-ˌfȯ(ə)r
: for that reason : consequently
he lost the bet, therefore he must pay

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