Whence Definition

wĕns, hwĕns
adverb
From where; from what place.
Whence came this traveler?
American Heritage
From what place, source, or cause?; from where?
Whence does he find his strength?
Webster's New World
From what origin or source.
Whence comes this splendid feast?
American Heritage

From where; from which place or source.

Whence came I?
Wiktionary
conjuntion
From what place, source, or cause.
I know whence he comes.
Webster's New World
To the place from which.
Return whence you came.
Webster's New World
From which place, source, or cause.
We went home, whence we departed soon after.
Webster's New World
By reason of which; from which.
The dog was coal black from nose to tail, whence the name Shadow.
American Heritage
From which fact.
There was no reply, whence he inferred that all had gone.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
  • wherefrom
  • from what origin
  • from what place
  • from where
pronoun
A place, cause, etc.: preceded by from: its use is still frowned on by some.
Webster's New World

Origin of Whence

  • Middle English whennes whenne whence (from Old English hwanon kwo- in Indo-European roots) -es genitive sing. suff. –s3

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English whennes, from Old English hwanone (with adverbial genitive -s), related to hwænne.

    From Wiktionary

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