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# therefore

«therefore» in Mova's school dictionary: **«so» or «for that reason»; it shows that something…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adverb (therefore)

### meaning for a pupil

Therefore means «so» or «for that reason»; it shows that something follows from what was said before. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

It is very common in maths and science: «12 is even; therefore it can be split into two equal groups». In exam and formal writing it links a reason to a result. The maths symbol ∴ means «therefore». In speech people usually say «so». Phrases: and therefore, it is therefore, therefore we can say.

### examples

- It is raining; therefore we will play indoors. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#x1)
- The angles in a triangle add to 180°; therefore the third angle is 50°. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#x2)
- She practised every day and therefore improved quickly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#x3)
- 15 is divisible by 5; therefore it is in the 5 times table. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#x4)
- The bridge was closed. We therefore took the long way. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#x5)
- Ice is less dense than water; therefore it floats. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#x6)
- They have therefore become very sure-footed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/#x7)

### note

Adverb, more formal than «so». In writing, use a semicolon or full stop before it, or put it inside the sentence: «We therefore left». Do not confuse with «therefor» (old legal word). In maths, the step after «therefore» is the conclusion.

### In the corpora

- [Therefore I'm mad." Alice says "I call it purring, not growling."](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat/17/)
- [Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.58/)
- [Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.84/)
- [Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.528/)
- [Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.770/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «therefore» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/therefore/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.