whereas

[ wair-az, hwair- ]

conjunction

1. while on the contrary:

   One arrived promptly, whereas the others hung back.

2. it being the case that, or considering that (used especially in formal preambles).

noun

, plural where·as·es.

1. a qualifying or introductory statement, especially one having “whereas” as the first word:

   to read the whereases in the will.

whereas

/ wɛərˈæz /

conjunction

1. coordinating but on the other hand

   I like to go swimming whereas Sheila likes to sail

sentence connector

1. (in formal documents to begin sentences) it being the case that; since

Word History and Origins

Origin of whereas¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English wheras; equivalent to where + as ¹

Example Sentences

Whereas Marian remains a soldier who won’t admit the war is over, Dolours, who would marry actor Stephen Rea, becomes more thoughtful and regretful with time, and suffers for it.

From Los Angeles Times

Regarding clientele, diners in the UK seem to be more open minded in trying different flavors or cuisines, whereas New Yorkers know exactly what they want and they are going to find it.

From Salon

Our phones assume we want to record everything forever, whereas most of the time we’re not actively approaching life that way.

From Slate

Messages can be difficult to retrieve or even set to disappear - whereas those sent via approved channels are fully retrievable, meaning they can be looked into if there is any suspected wrongdoing.

From BBC

“Whereas traditional strength training takes three times the amount of time, with more reps and sets,” Hughes says, “and you don’t get to the level of intensity that you do with slow-motion strength training, where you just do one set to failure.”

From Los Angeles Times