where·fore
ˈ(h)wer-ˌfȯr 
: an answer or statement giving an explanation : reason
wants to know the whys and wherefores
Did you know?
Wherefore and Shakespeare
In early English, a number of new words were formed by combining where with a preposition. In such words, where had the meaning of "what" or "which"—hence, wherein ("in what"), whereon ("on what"), and wherefore ("for what"). Although wherefore as an adverb is rarely used today, the noun form, meaning "an answer or statement giving an explanation," survives in the phrase "the whys and wherefores."
Synonyms
Examples of wherefore in a Sentence
Adverb
it was getting late, and wherefore we decided to move on
Noun
demanded to know the whys and wherefores for the decision
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Eschewing cheap shots, McBride favors a careful, winding excavation – reaching into history for the whys and wherefores of his novels’ crowded casts, while delivering whopper stories with electric finales.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Oct. 2023
Soccer, though, did not waste time wondering about the whys and wherefores.
—Ahmed Al Omran, New York Times, 13 July 2023
The political whys and wherefores are important — and might be left to another piece.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 May 2023
As in most of Tim and Eric’s sketch humor, there are few whys and wherefores.
—Austin Considine, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020
Julian Fellowes, a master writer who understands so well all the peculiarities of time and place, manners and historical significance of the whys and wherefores of his fictional inhabitants, is to be applauded.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
In addition to gleaning the why and wherefore behind America’s foundational document, teenage listeners will meet up with the Declaration of Independence and a roster of seminal Supreme Court decisions.
—Louis Bayard, New York Times, 28 May 2018
The book casts its spell in revealing the whys and wherefores of the killings, as investigated by Burke’s onetime high school classmate, Rob Barrett, a Boston FBI agent whom Burke likes nothing better than to humiliate.
—Lloyd Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 21 May 2018
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Noun
But none of those 265 pages of wherefores and whereases on the sports authority website are legally binding.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Eschewing cheap shots, McBride favors a careful, winding excavation – reaching into history for the whys and wherefores of his novels’ crowded casts, while delivering whopper stories with electric finales.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Oct. 2023
Soccer, though, did not waste time wondering about the whys and wherefores.
—Ahmed Al Omran, New York Times, 13 July 2023
The political whys and wherefores are important — and might be left to another piece.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 May 2023
As in most of Tim and Eric’s sketch humor, there are few whys and wherefores.
—Austin Considine, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020
Julian Fellowes, a master writer who understands so well all the peculiarities of time and place, manners and historical significance of the whys and wherefores of his fictional inhabitants, is to be applauded.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
In addition to gleaning the why and wherefore behind America’s foundational document, teenage listeners will meet up with the Declaration of Independence and a roster of seminal Supreme Court decisions.
—Louis Bayard, New York Times, 28 May 2018
The book casts its spell in revealing the whys and wherefores of the killings, as investigated by Burke’s onetime high school classmate, Rob Barrett, a Boston FBI agent whom Burke likes nothing better than to humiliate.
—Lloyd Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 21 May 2018
Articles Related to wherefore
Dictionary Entries Near wherefore
Cite this Entry
“Wherefore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wherefore. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wherefore
1 of 2 adverb
where·fore
ˈhwe(ə)r-ˌfō(ə)r
ˈhwa(ə)r-,
ˈwe(ə)r-,
ˈwa(ə)r-,
-ˌfȯ(ə)r
wherefore
2 of 2 noun
: an answer or statement giving an explanation : reason
the whys and wherefores
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share