whither

[ hwith-er, with- ]

adverb

1. to what place? where?
2. to what end, point, action, or the like? to what?

conjunction

1. to which place.
2. to whatever place.

whither

/ ˈwɪðə /

adverb

1. to what place?
2. to what end or purpose?

conjunction

1. to whatever place, purpose, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of whither¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, variant of Middle English whider, hwider, hwither, Old English hwider, hwyder, alteration of hwæder (cognate with Gothic hwadrē “whither”), modeled on hider hither

Word History and Origins

Origin of whither¹

Old English hwider, hwæder; related to Gothic hvadrē; modern English form influenced by hither

Example Sentences

In the meantime, whither Bellingcat goeth, so go I. And luckily, there are still some admirable virtual meeting rooms open that provide their hosting company an excellent view of exactly nothing.

From Salon

“I don’t think anybody knows whither Prigozhin, whither Wagner, whither the Russian Ministry of Defense, whither any particular general, any particular commander,” Mr. Sullivan said during his talk.

From Washington Times

So, whither our digital town square on which to share all our opinions and photos and snake-oil treatments?

From Slate

But if April’s dryness is not yet withering, may we not ask: whither April’s celebrated showers?

From Washington Post

The decision comes as DeSantis, widely expected to seek the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, has said a key goal for Florida’s higher education system is to defund DEI programs so they “whither on the vine” on campuses.

From Seattle Times