hence
Americanadverb
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as an inference from this fact; for this reason; therefore.
The eggs were very fresh and hence satisfactory.
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from this time; from now.
They will leave a month hence.
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from this source or origin.
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Archaic.
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from this place; from here; away.
The inn is but a quarter mile hence.
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from this world or from the living.
After a long, hard life they were taken hence.
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henceforth; from this time on.
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interjection
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Obsolete. depart (usually used imperatively).
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for this reason; following from this; therefore
adverb
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from this time
a year hence
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archaic
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from here or from this world; away
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from this origin or source
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interjection
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archaic begone! away!
Etymology
Origin of hence
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English hens, hennes, equivalent to henne ( Old English heonan ) + -es adverb suffix; -s 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hegel was a metaphysician whose insistence that Geist, or spirit, pervades the historical process and moves it to some grand culmination is difficult to distinguish from New Age mysticism, and hence charlatanism.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
Plentiful reserves tend to promise great riches, hence crude has been labelled "black gold".
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
“Investment in the business is larger than we previously expected and there’s lack of visibility on cost savings hence margin improvements,” they wrote in a note to clients.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026
This could help protect their cash flow in the short run, but raises the risk of lower yields later—and hence drive prices higher.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Moreover, the more accurately one measures the position, the shorter the wavelength of the light that one needs and hence the higher the energy of a single quantum.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.