whereas

See also: whereäs

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From where +‎ as (that); first attested in the meaning of "where" First attested in the 14th century.[1] Compare thereas.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /weəɹˈæz/, /wɛː(ɹ)ˈaz/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /(h)wɛɹˈæz/
  • Hyphenation: where‧as
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -æz

Adverb

whereas (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Where (that).
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.iii:
      And home she came, whereas her mother blynd / Sate in eternall night []

Derived terms

Conjunction

whereas

  1. In contrast; whilst on the contrary; although.
    He came first in the race, whereas his brother came last.
    • 2020 October 5, Paul Turnbull, “Thinking About Craniometry- The Racial Turn”, in Paul Turnbull[1]:
      One significance weakness of phrenology in the eyes of most anatomists, as Anne Harrington has shown, was that the brain comprised two structurally identical cerebral hemispheres, separated by a longitudinal fissure, whereas phrenologists held that the material sub-stratum of various mental faculties was located in only one hemisphere, and not its twin.
  2. (chiefly law) It being the fact that; inasmuch as. (Often used to begin recitals; sometimes emboldened or emphasized as a signifier.)
    • 1778, United States Articles of Confederation:
      And Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of, and to authorize us to ratify the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union.

Translations

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts above across after afters again against along among amongst anent1 around as at away beit before beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid2 of on out over so soever somedever3 somever3 through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards -wise with withal within without
hence henceafter henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom
here hereabout hereabouts hereabove hereafter hereafters hereagainst hereamong hereamongst hereanent hereat hereaway herebefore hereby herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto hereupon herewith herewithal herewithin herewithout
hither hitherto hitherunto hitherward hitherwards
how howbeit however howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever
that thataway thatwise
thence thenceafter thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom thenceout
there thereabout thereabouts thereabove thereacross thereafter thereafters thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound thereat thereaway therebefore therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover theresoever therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
this thisaway thiswise
thither thitherinsoever thitherto thitherward thitherwards
what whatever whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever whatwise
when whenabout whenabouts whenas whenever whenso whensoever whensomever
whence whenceafter whencever whenceforth whenceforward whencefrom whenceward whencewards
where whereabout whereabouts whereabove whereafter whereafters whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereat whereaway wherebefore wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon wherewith wherewithal wherewithin wherewithout
whither whitherever whitherinsoever whitherso whitherto whithertofore whitherward whitherwards
why whyever whyfor whyso whysoever
1. Scottish
2. from Middle English mid
3. old dialectal form

Noun

whereas (plural whereases)

  1. A clause, as in legal documents, stating whereas.
    • 1883, The Insurance Law Journal, Potter and Company:
      [] the promise is stated after a whereas, though the promise is the very gist of the action, yet, such a count so framed, will be held good on demurrer.
    • 1908, United States Congress, Hearings beginning March 9, 1908 – April 30, 1908:
      It had a page or so of whereases.
    • 1961, Aluminum Workers' International Union, Biennial Convention:
      I feel it is most unfortunate that some of the preambles, prefaces, whereases or whatever you want to call it, are put before motions or before resolutions []
    • 1973, Canadian Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Proceedings:
      If it is the desire of any Lodge on the floor that the whereases that were listed in their original Resolution be quoted by the Chairman or by the Secretary []

Translations

References

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “whereas”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams