hence

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See also: Hence

English

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Etymology

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A later Middle English spelling, retaining the voiceless -s, of hennes (henne + adverbial genitive ending -s), from Old English heonan (away", "hence), from a Proto-West Germanic *hin-, from Proto-Germanic *hiz, and Proto-Germanic *-anē.

Cognate with Old Saxon hinan, Old High German hinnan (German hinnen), Dutch heen, Swedish hän. Related to Old English her (here).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛns/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛns

Adverb

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hence (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) From here, from this place, away.
    Synonym: herefrom
    I'm going hence, because you have insulted me.
    Get thee hence, Satan!
  2. (archaic, figuratively) From the living or from this world.
    After a long battle, my poor daughter was taken hence.
  3. (of a length of time) In the future from now.
    A year hence it will be forgotten.
  4. (conjunctive) As a result; therefore, for this reason.
    Synonym: consequently
    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), The Art of War, 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, chapter VI, in Ninian Hill Thomson, transl., The Prince:
      Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
    • 1731 May 27, Benjamin Franklin, “Apology for Printers”, in The Pennsylvania Gazette:
      That hence arises the peculiar Unhappiness of that Business, which other Callings are no way liable to;

Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Interjection

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hence

  1. (obsolete) Go away! Begone!

Verb

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hence (third-person singular simple present hences, present participle hencing, simple past and past participle henced)

  1. (obsolete, transitive) To utter "hence!" to; to send away.
  2. (dated, intransitive) To depart; to go away.

Anagrams

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