DictionaryAI

whence

WENS/ʍɛns/

2 meanings of whence

Practice

  1. 1
    from whereadverbliteraryformal
    From where, or from which place or source; used in questions and in clauses that point back to a place or source.

    The refugees longed to return to the valley whence they had fled.

    Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed?
    1816, [Mary Shelley], Frankenstein

    UsageModern English says where ... from: the town where it came from. From whence also occurs, though from is already in the meaning.

    Oppositewhither

    Note

    Its old partner is whither: in the King James Bible of 1611 Jesus says "I know whence I came, and whither I goe", from where and to where in a word each.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • The King James Bible was first published in 1611. wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk
    • Jesus says "I know whence I came, and whither I goe" in the 1611 King James Bible, John 8:14. en.wiktionary.org
  2. 2
    as a resultconjunctionliterary
    Used to introduce a result or conclusion that follows from a fact just stated.

    The bridge had been closed for repairs, whence the long detour through the hills.

    The old pump kept failing, whence the constant flooding in the basement.

    UsageIt can follow a comma and introduce a noun phrase: the roads were icy, whence the accidents.

Practice

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Origin

Old English hwanon, with the adverbial genitive ending -s added, became Middle English whennes. It is related to hwonne, the source of English when, so the word can be analyzed as when plus -s.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts