whereas

adv, conj, noun — 4 senses

whereas

adv

UK /wɛəɹˈaz/ · US /(h)wɛɹˈæz/

Etymology From where + as (“that”); first attested in the meaning of "where" in the 14th century. Compare thereas.

1

Obsolete Where (that).

  • And home she came, whereas her mother blynd / Sate in eternall night […]1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.iii:
Derived terms
otherwhereas

whereas

conj

Etymology From where + as (“that”); first attested in the meaning of "where" in the 14th century. Compare thereas.

1

In contrast; whilst on the contrary; although.

  • He came first in the race, whereas his brother came last.
  • 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.2020 October 5, Paul Turnbull, “Thinking About Craniometry- The Racial Turn”, in Paul Turnbull:
2

Law It being the fact that; inasmuch as. (Often used to begin recitals; sometimes emboldened or emphasized as a signifier.)

  • 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.1778, United States Articles of Confederation:
Related terms
203 terms—, henceafter, henceforth, henceforward, henceforwards, hencefrom, hereabout, hereabouts, hereabove, hereafter, hereafters, hereagainst, hereamong, 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, hitherto, hitherunto, hitherward, hitherwards, howbeit, however, howso, howsoever, howsomedever, howsomever, thataway, thatwise, thenceafter, thenceforth, thenceforward, thenceforwards, thencefrom, thenceout, 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, thisaway, thiswise, thitherinsoever, thitherto, thitherward, thitherwards, whatever, whatso, whatsoever, whatsomedever, whatsomever, whatwise, whenabout, whenabouts, whenas, whenever, whenso, whensoever, whensomever, whenceafter, whencever, whenceforth, whenceforward, whencefrom, whenceward, whencewards, 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, whitherever, whitherinsoever, whitherso, whitherto, whithertofore, whitherward, whitherwards, whyever, whyfor, whyso, whysoever, 1. Scottish2. from Middle English mid3. old dialectal form

whereas

noun

Etymology From where + as (“that”); first attested in the meaning of "where" in the 14th century. Compare thereas.

1

A clause, as in legal documents, stating whereas.

  • […]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.1883, The Insurance Law Journal, Potter and Company:
  • It had a page or so of whereases.1908, United States Congress, Hearings beginning March 9, 1908 – April 30, 1908:
2 more examples
  • 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[…]1961, Aluminum Workers' International Union, Biennial Convention:
  • 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[…]1973, Canadian Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Proceedings:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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