English

edit

Etymology

edit

From Middle English therby, from Old English ðǣrbig, equivalent to there +‎ by. Compare the parallel formation of German dabei.

Pronunciation

edit

Adverb

edit

thereby (not comparable)

  1. (formal) By it; by that; by that means, or as a consequence of that.
    I enrolled in Old English classes and thereby learned much about Germanic languages.
    • 1729, [Jonathan Swift], A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents, or the Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick, Dublin: [] S[arah] Harding, [], →OCLC, pages 11–12:
      Thirdly, Whereas the Maintenance of an hundred thouſand Children, from two Years old, and upwards, cannot be computed at leſs than Ten Shillings a piece per Annum, the Nation's ſtock will be thereby encreaſed fifty thouſand pounds per Annum, beſides the profit of a new Diſh, introduced to the Tables of all Gentlemen of Fortune in the Kingdom, who have any refinement in Taſte, and the Money will circulate among our ſelves, the Goods being entirely of our own Growth and Manufacture.
    • 1787, United States Constitution, Article VI, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
    • 2000, David Golinkin, “Is Smoking Prohibited By Jewish Law”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 3, page 94:
      Smoking is a form of self-inflicted injury and is thereby prohibited by Jewish law.
    • 2009 October 1, “Answering Iran’s Nuclear Challenge”, in The New York Times[1], archived from the original on 17 June 2022:
      For it would surely improve the domestic standing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an unbudgeable hawk, and thereby indefinitely delay peace on that Middle Eastern front.

Synonyms

edit

Derived terms

edit

Translations

edit

See also

edit
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 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 whereas 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