Word of the Day

: July 30, 2021

wherefore

adverb WAIR-for

What It Means

1 : for what reason or purpose : why

2 : therefore

wherefore in Context

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1594-95

"According to The Blast, the legal filing said 'Wherefore, Petitioner requests an order of this court that the conservatorship of the person of Britney Jean Spears, the conservatee, be terminated.'" — Justin Enriquez, ­The Daily Mail (US), 18 June 2021

Did You Know?

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."