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

These negative emotions can contribute to overall feelings of stress and anxiety, thereby detrimentally affecting mental health. —Omer Awan, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

Smith had filed an appeal of Cannon’s ruling, but this past week the Eleventh Circuit granted a post-election request by him to end that appeal with respect to the charges against Trump, thereby leaving the indictment of Trump dismissed. —Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024

In 2022, Isaacman began to lobby for a private mission—presumably with himself in command—to service the Hubble Space Telescope, thereby extending its life. —Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024

The math changes, however, if there are Democratic absences, which would lower the threshold Republicans would need to pass their bills, thereby padding their cushion to allow more GOP defections. —Mike Lillis, The Hill, 4 Dec. 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