Meaning & use
whence
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Meanings
adverbformalliteraryold-fashioned
From what place, source, or cause; used in formal or old literary English.
Grammar: Already contains the idea of 'from', so 'from whence' is redundant, though it appears in older writing.
Patterns
- whence + verb
- from whence + clause
They returned to the village whence they had come.
Whence comes this sudden interest in my health?
She never explained whence the money had come.
conjunctionliteraryold-fashioned
From the place or source that; used to connect a result to its origin.
Grammar: Introduces a clause and is common in older literature rather than speech.
Patterns
- ... whence it came
- ... whence they set out
He traced the river to the hills whence it flows.
The rumor spread quickly, whence followed a long inquiry.
Common combinations
- from whence
- The letter was sent back from whence it came.
- whence it came
- Nobody knew whence it came.
- whence the idea
- Whence the idea that money buys happiness?
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: whence or hence? whence or once?
whence vs hence
'Hence' means 'from here' or 'therefore', while 'whence' means 'from where'. They look alike but point to different things.
whence vs once
'Once' means one time or in the past; it is not a question word and does not mean 'from where'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'whence' correctly and naturally for modern formal writing?
Choose one answer.
'Whence' means 'from where', so it fits movement away from a place. It cannot replace 'where' for direction to a place, or 'when' for time.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “whence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.