wherefore
wherefore Lexical Profile
wherefore Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
For what reason or purpose; on what account; why (now primarily archaic or literary).
"The king demanded to know wherefore the messengers had returned without an answer from the neighboring realm."
For which reason; as a result of which; therefore.
"The defendants failed to appear before the magistrate, wherefore a warrant was issued for their immediate arrest."
• noun
An underlying reason, cause, or explanation (usually used in the plural in the phrase 'whys and wherefores').
"We do not have time to debate all the whys and wherefores of the new policy before the deadline."
• conjunction
On account of which; and therefore; for which reason.
"He found the ancient bridge completely washed away by the flood, wherefore he was forced to seek another route across the valley."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because of the first element 'where-', modern readers often mistakenly assume 'wherefore' asks about location ('where?'), when it actually means 'why' or 'for what reason' (as in Juliet's famous line, 'Wherefore art thou Romeo?', which asks why he bears the rival family's name, not where he is standing).
• Rhymes for wherefore
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'wherfore', formed as a compound of 'where' (in what) and 'fore' (for), modeled after Old Norse 'hvarfyrir'.