whereby

English

Etymology

From where +‎ by.

Pronunciation

• enPR: wâr-bī', IPA^(key): /wɛə(ɹ)ˈbaɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ

Adverb

whereby (not comparable)

1. (interrogative, obsolete) By what, in which direction; how.

   Whereby goest thou?

2. By which.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     Shylock:
     Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:
     You take my house when you do take the prop
     That doth sustain my house; you take my life
     When you do take the means whereby I live.

   • 1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 179:

     M. Sawrey […] devised a mechanical method whereby theatrical scenes could be changed in a simple way.

   • 1990, Local management of schools, Kogan Page Ltd:

     Other heads saw devolution as a whole new way of life and adopted an approach whereby the power of devolution was used to enable the school to drive the curriculum.

3. (nonstandard) Where, wherein, in which.

Usage notes

Use of whereby as a formal equivalent of where is nonstandard and is avoided by careful speakers and writers, who use where or in which instead.

Translations

by which

Arabic: الذي به, بذلك Bulgarian: по какъв начин (po kakǎv način) Catalan: pel qual, per la qual Czech: čím (cs), čímž, jímž (cs) Danish: hvorved Dutch: waarbij (nl) Finnish: jolla (fi), millä (fi) French: par quoi, par lequel German: wodurch (de) Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐍈𐌴 (biƕē) Hungarian: miáltal (hu), mi​/​ami által​/​révén​/​útján, mi​/​ami​/​minek​/​aminek​/​amelynek alapján​/​értelmében, (living by … means) miből, amiből (hu), amelyből Italian: per cui Norwegian: hvorved Portuguese: pelo qual Russian: при (ru) (pri) помощи (ru) (pomošči) Spanish: mediante el cual, por la cual Swedish: varmed (sv)

See also

(Here-, there-, and where- words):

• (about): hereabout, thereabout, whereabout
• (abouts): hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts
• (after): hereafter, thereafter, whereafter
• (again): thereagain
• (against): hereagainst, thereagainst, whereagainst
• (among): hereamong, thereamong, whereamong
• (amongst): thereamongst, whereamongst
• (anent): hereanent, thereanent, whereanent
• (around): therearound, wherearound
• (as): thereas, whereas
• (at): hereat, thereat, whereat
• (before): herebefore, therebefore
• (beside): therebeside
• (between): therebetween, wherebetween
• (by): hereby, thereby, whereby
• (for): herefor, therefor, wherefor
• (fore): herefore, therefore, wherefore
• (from): herefrom, therefrom, wherefrom
• (hence): herehence, therehence
• (in): herein, therein, wherein
• (in after): hereinafter, thereinafter, whereinafter
• (in before): hereinbefore, thereinbefore, whereinbefore
• (into): hereinto, thereinto, whereinto
• (of): hereof, thereof, whereof
• (on): hereon, thereon, whereon
• (out): hereout, thereout, whereout
• (somever): wheresomever
• (to): hereto, thereto, whereto
• (tofore): heretofore, theretofore, wheretofore
• (under): hereunder, thereunder, whereunder
• (unto): hereunto, thereunto, whereunto
• (upon): hereupon, thereupon, whereupon
• (with): herewith, therewith, wherewith
• (withal): herewithal, therewithal, wherewithal

Pronominal adverbs

																																																				about	abouts	across	after	again	against	along	among	amongst	anent[1]	around	as	at	beit	beside	between	beyond	by	ever	for	fore	forth	forward	forwards	from	hence	inabove	inafter	inbefore	inbelow	inelsewhere	insoever	into	inunder	mid[2]	of	on	out	over	so	soever	somedever	somever[3]	through	throughout	to	tofore	unto	up	upon	ward	wards	with	withal	within	without
																																																			hence	—	—	—	henceafter	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	henceforth	henceforward	henceforwards	hencefrom	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
																																																			here	hereabout	hereabouts	—	hereafter	—	hereagainst	—	hereamong	hereamongst	hereanent	—	—	hereat	—	—	—	—	hereby	—	herefor	herefore	hereforth	hereforward	herefowards	herefrom	herehence	hereinabove	hereinafter	hereinbefore	hereinbelow	hereinelsewhere	hereinsoever	hereinto	hereinunder	heremid	hereof	hereon	hereout	hereover	—	heresoever	—	—	herethrough	herethroughout	hereto	heretofore	hereunto	—	hereupon	—	—	herewith	herewithal	herewithin	—
																																																			hither	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	hitherto	—	hitherunto	—	—	hitherward	hitherwards	—	—	—	—
																																																			how	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	howbeit	—	—	—	however	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	howso	howsoever	howsomedever	howsomever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
																																																			thence	—	—	—	thenceafter	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	thenceforth	thenceforward	thenceforwards	thencefrom	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	thenceout	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
																																																			there	thereabout	thereabouts	thereacross	thereafter	thereagain	thereagainst	therealong	thereamong	thereamongst	thereanent	therearound	—	thereat	—	therebeside	therebetween	therebeyond	thereby	therever	therefor	therefore	thereforth	—	—	therefrom	therehence	thereinabove	thereinafter	thereinbefore	thereinbelow	—	—	thereinto	thereinunder	theremid	thereof	thereon	thereout	thereover	—	theresoever	—	—	therethrough	therethroughout	thereto	theretofore	thereunto	thereup	thereupon	—	—	therewith	therewithal	therewithin	therewithout
																																																			thither	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	thitherinsoever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	thitherto	—	—	—	—	thitherward	thitherwards	—	—	—	—
																																																			what	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whatever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whatso	whatsoever	whatsomedever	whatsomever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
																																																			when	whenabout	whenabouts	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whenas	—	—	—	—	—	—	whenever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whenso	whensoever	—	whensomever	—	—	−	—	−	—	—	−	−	—	—	—	—
																																																			whence	—	—	—	whenceafter	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whencever	—	—	whenceforth	whenceforward	—	whencefrom	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whenceward	whencewards	—	—	—	—
																																																			where	whereabout	whereabouts	—	whereafter	—	whereagainst	wherealong	whereamong	whereamongst	whereanent	wherearound	whereas	whereat	—	wherebeside	wherebetween	wherebeyond	whereby	wherever	wherefor	wherefore	whereforth	—	—	wherefrom	wherehence	whereinabove	whereinafter	whereinbefore	whereinbelow	—	whereinsoever	whereinto	whereinunder	wheremid	whereof	whereon	whereout	whereover	whereso	wheresoever	—	wheresomever	wherethrough	wherethroughout	whereto	wheretofore	whereunto	whereup	whereupon	—	—	wherewith	wherewithal	wherewithin	wherewithout
																																																			whither	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whitherever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whitherinsoever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whitherso	—	—	—	—	—	whitherto	whithertofore	—	—	—	whitherward	whitherwards	—	—	—	—
																																																			why	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whyever	whyfor	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	whyso	whysoever	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scottish from Middle English mid old dialectal form