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

While the electron travels to the cathode to reduce carbon dioxide, the remaining hole simultaneously oxidizes the biomass molecule 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furoic acid (HMFA), thereby executing two distinct chemical upgrades at the same time. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026

By condensing development calendars and lead times, companies can achieve a closer response to demand, thereby improving inventory management. —Sj Studio, Footwear News, 12 June 2026

Inexplicably, six Republicans in the Assembly and one in the Senate agreed to vote for AB 1768, thereby allowing many Democrats to skip the politically risky vote to enable yet another tax hike on working people. —Susan Shelley, Daily News, 10 June 2026

Jurors found that Grossman and Erickson both acted with conscious disregard for the boys' safety and malice, thereby awarding punitive damages in the wrongful death lawsuit. —Julie Sharp, CBS News, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing thereby

• thereby hangs a tale

Rhymes for thereby

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

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