THEREFORE


Meaning of THEREFORE in English

there ‧ fore S1 W1 /ˈðeəfɔː $ ˈðerfɔːr/ BrE AmE adverb formal

[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Origin: there + for ]

as a result of something that has just been mentioned:

Their car was bigger and therefore more comfortable.

Progress so far has been very good. We are, therefore, confident that the work will be completed on time.

REGISTER

In everyday English, people usually use so rather than therefore :

It was late, so I didn’t stay long.

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THESAURUS

▪ therefore for this reason:

She already had a lot of experience and therefore seemed the best candidate for the job.

▪ so therefore. So is less formal than therefore , and is more common in everyday English:

They had not eaten all day, so they were very hungry.

▪ thus formal as a result of what you have just mentioned:

The program is very simple and thus easy to run.

▪ hence formal for this reason:

This material is highly poisonous, hence the importance of careful handling.

▪ as a result used when saying that because of a particular situation, something else happens or is true:

Some people suffer from stress at work and become ill as a result.

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Economic growth slowed down as a result of inflation.

▪ consequently/as a consequence used when saying that because of a particular situation, something else happens or is true. Consequently and as a consequence are more formal than as a result :

The disease attacks the plant, the flower does not open, and consequently no seeds are produced.

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As a consequence of global warming, our climate is already starting to change.

▪ this means that used when saying what the result of something is:

If students arrive late, this means that lesson time is wasted.

▪ for this reason used when explaining the reason for something:

Spell check programs do not recognize when you have used the wrong word. For this reason, you must still read over your work carefully.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.