hence

English

Etymology

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

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛns

Adverb

hence (not comparable)

1. (archaic) From here, from this place, away.

   Synonym: 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     […] And now farewell / Till half an hour hence.

4. (conjunctive) As a result; therefore, for this reason.

   Synonym: 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.

   • 1910, , Niccolò Machiavelli, chapter VI, in Ninian Hill Thomson, transl., The Prince:

     Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.

   • 1731 May 27, Benjamin Franklin, “Apology for Printers”, in The Pennsylvania Gazette:

     That hence arises the peculiar Unhappiness of that Business, which other Callings are no way liable to;

Antonyms

• hither

Derived terms

Related terms

• whence
• thence

Translations

Interjection

hence

1. (obsolete) Go away! Begone!
   • 1604 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], Parasitaster, or The Fawne, , London: T P for W C, published 1606, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i:

     Zuc. 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 6, column 1:

     Miranda: Beſeech you Father.
     Prospero: Hence: hang not on my garments.

Verb

hence (third-person singular simple present 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.

Anagrams

• Neche