thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟her-ˈbī 

ˈt͟her-ˌbī

1

: by that : by that means

thereby lost her chance to win

2

: connected with or with reference to that

… thereby hangs a tale …

—William Shakespeare

Examples of thereby in a Sentence

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.

Recent Examples on the Web

Announce to America’s adversaries that US elections are vulnerable, thereby inviting the very interference the administration decries. — James Robenalt, Vanity Fair, 27 July 2026

The complaint alleged Gooden failed to report his stock trades in a timely manner, thereby violating House rules and the STOCK Act. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026

At the same time, the flotsam also contributes positively to the knowledge of the ocean system’s function, thereby presenting possibilities for its salvation. — Alexander Klose, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

Open-weight models have the potential to bolster global adoption of AI, thereby driving up sales of chips from firms like Nvidia. — Michael Shepard, Fortune, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing thereby

• thereby hangs a tale

Rhymes for thereby

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids Definition

thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟ha(ə)r-ˈbī 

t͟he(ə)r-;

ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌbī, 

ˈt͟he(ə)r-

1

: by that : by that means

thereby lost her chance to win

2

: connected with or with reference to that

thereby hangs a tale