# hence

/ˈhɛns/ (US) · /hˈɛns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hence
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. as a result

adverb · CEFR B2 · Academic · Formal

for this reason or as a result of what was just mentioned.

For teachers: used to introduce a logical consequence or a result of the preceding statement.

- The cost of transport has risen, hence the increase in food prices.
- The company failed to diversify its product line in a changing market; hence, it was unable to compete with more agile startups.

### 2. time from now

adverb · CEFR C1 · Formal

a certain amount of time in the future.

For teachers: indicating a specified amount of time from the present moment.

- The new hospital is expected to open three years hence.
- The full impact of these environmental policy changes will only become apparent many decades hence.

### 3. from this place

adverb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

away from this place.

For teachers: indicating movement away from the current location.

- Get thee hence, and do not return to these lands.
- The knight was ordered to depart hence and seek his fortune in the northern kingdoms.

Usage: In modern English, this sense is almost exclusively found in historical fiction or religious texts.

## Examples

- The roads are icy, hence the slow traffic.
- The company failed to innovate, hence its eventual bankruptcy in a competitive market.
- The experiment was conducted under highly controlled conditions, hence the remarkable consistency of the results across all three testing groups.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.