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Meaning & use

thence

adverb·Advancedformalold-fashioned

Last updated

UK/ðens/
US/ðens/

Meanings

  1. adverbnot comparable

    From that place; used when describing a journey that goes on to somewhere else.

    Grammar: Usually follows a verb of movement: they traveled to Paris and thence to Rome.

    Patterns

    • go thence to somewhere
    • travel thence

    The pilgrims sailed to Cyprus and thence to the Holy Land.

    He took a train to Vienna and thence to Budapest.

    The river flows south into the lake and thence to the sea.

  2. adverbnot comparableliterary

    For that reason; as a result of what has just been said.

    Grammar: Introduces a result and is now mainly found in older or legal writing.

    Patterns

    • and thence the conclusion

    The treaty was broken, and thence came the war.

    Prices fell sharply, and thence arose the demand for reform.

    The first deed was missing, and thence the dispute over ownership.

Common combinations

and thence to
The caravan crossed the desert and thence to the coast.
travel thence
They planned to travel thence by canal.
thence forward
The rule applied thence forward to all members.
thence returning
He went to the capital, thence returning home.
thence arose
Thence arose a long argument about the border.

Synonyms and how they differ

from there
From there is the ordinary modern phrase, while thence sounds formal or old-fashioned.
therefrom
Therefrom is also formal and legal, but it often refers to a thing rather than a place.
hence
Hence means from here or for this reason, so it points away from the speaker, whereas thence points away from another place.
afterward
Afterward shows time order only, while thence usually includes the idea of place.

Opposites

hither

Word family

thenceforth adverb
from that time onward
thenceforward adverb
from that point in time forward
hence adverb
from here, or for this reason
whence adverb
from where

Commonly confused: thence or hence? thence or whence?

thence vs hence

Hence points away from here or this moment, but thence points away from a place or time already mentioned.

thence vs whence

Whence asks or refers to the place something came from, while thence names a place already mentioned.

Practice

In the sentence 'He went to Paris and thence to Lyon', thence means ___.

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