hence
see also: Hence
Etymology

A later Middle English spelling, retaining the voiceless -s, of hennes (henne + adverbial genitive ending -s), from Old English heonan, from a Proto-West Germanic *hin-, from Proto-Germanic *hiz, and Proto-Germanic *-anē.

Cognate with osx hinan, Old High German hinnan (German hinnen), Dutch heen, Swedish hän. Related to Old English her.

Pronunciation Adverb

hence (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) From here, from this place, away.
    Synonyms: herefrom
    I'm going hence, because you have insulted me.
    Get thee hence, Satan!
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene i], page 272 ↗, column 1:
      O Gertrude, come away: / The sun no ſooner ſhall the Mountaines touch, / But we will ſhip him hence,
    • 1849, Arthur Hugh Clough, Easter Day (Naples, 1849):
      Ye men of Galilee! / Why stand ye looking up to heaven, where Him ye ne’er may see, / Neither ascending hence, nor returning hither again?
    • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC ↗:
      `Now leave me,' she said, `and sleep if ye may. I must watch and think, for to-morrow night we go hence, and the time is long since I trod the path that we must follow.'
  2. (archaic, figuratively) From the living or from this world.
    After a long battle, my poor daughter was taken hence.
  3. (of a length of time) In the future from now.
    A year hence it will be forgotten.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene i]:
      […] And now farewell / Till half an hour hence.
  4. (conjunctive) As a result; therefore, for this reason.
    Synonyms: consequently
    I shall go to Japan and hence will not be here in time for the party.
    The purse is handmade and hence very expensive.
    • 1910, Sun Tzu, Lionel Giles (translator), The Art of War, Section VI: Weak Points and Strong, 8:
      Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
Antonyms Related terms Translations Translations Translations Interjection
  1. (obsolete) Go away! Begone!
    • 1604 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], Parasitaster, or The Fawne, […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for W[illiam] C[otton], published 1606, →OCLC ↗, Act IV, scene i ↗:
      Zuc[cone]. Hence auant I will marie a woman with no wombe, a creature with two noſes, a wench with no haire rather then remarie thee, […]
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii], page 6 ↗, column 1:
      Mira[nda]. Beſeech you Father.
      Proſ[pero]. Hence: hang not on my garments.
Verb

hence (hences, present participle hencing; simple past and past participle henced)

  1. (obsolete, transitive) To utter "hence!" to; to send away.
  2. (dated, intransitive) To depart; to go away.

Hence
Proper noun
  1. (very, rare) A male given name.



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