adverb

thereby

/ðɛrˈbaɪ/ · say it: thair·BY

by that means; as a result

In Formal & Academic

In more detail

by that means; as a result of that; by doing that

Examples

He studied hard and thereby improved his test scores.
The new law changed the tax system and thereby affected many businesses.
She apologized sincerely, thereby repairing their friendship.

How to use thereby

Thereby is a formal or literary adverb that connects an action to its direct result or consequence. It is commonly used in written English, especially in academic, legal, and technical texts, to show causation or effect in a more sophisticated way than simply using 'so' or 'and so'. It often appears in the construction 'by doing X, thereby Y-ing'.

Common phrases

thereby creating
thereby avoiding
thereby ensuring
thereby reducing
thereby establishing
thereby gaining

Synonyms

thus · consequently · as a result · in that way · by that means

Word family

there · by

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse thereby with thereby spelled as two words ('there by'), or misuse it at the beginning of a sentence without a clear causal link to the preceding clause.

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