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

The whole point of fast transit programs like BRT is to get more people to ride transit instead of driving, thereby increasing the total human capacity of a road since buses are much more space-efficient than cars. —David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024

However, according to The Information, at least one of the iPhone 17 models will feature a mechanical aperture, allowing users to adjust the opening of a lens and, thereby, the amount of light entering it manually. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024

Part of what could be slowing Caltrans’ response is an effort to give homeless people ample warning about coming cleanups, thereby minimizing the risk that somebody loses, say, an ID or birth certificate. —Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024

Indeed, Taiwan’s decision to respond to incursions into its air defense identification zone by scrambling fighter jets and to trail Chinese navy ships on the seas has heavily taxed its defense platforms and risks exhausting the military, thereby compromising Taiwan’s readiness for direct conflict. —David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing thereby

• thereby hangs a tale

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