thereof

[ thair-uhv, -ov ]

adverb

1. of that or it.
2. from or out of that origin or cause.

thereof

/ ˌðɛərˈɒv /

adverb

1. of or concerning that or it
2. from or because of that

Word History and Origins

Origin of thereof¹

before 1000; Middle English therof, Old English thǣrof. See there, of ¹

Example Sentences

Southern California has a big stake in their success, or lack thereof, over the next four years.

From Los Angeles Times

The health, or lack thereof, of Test cricket is debated so much it is in danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From BBC

Branding became essential to the differentiation that would earn the easy recognition and loyalty of customers, though labels about the purity of contents or lack thereof didn’t matter in this former landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

Here are a few examples of the troubling coverage — or lack thereof:

From Salon

With polls indicating this year's presidential race will again be tight, it's possible their votes — or lack thereof — could sway the election results.

From Salon

More About Thereof

What does thereof mean?

Thereof means of, from, because of, or concerning the thing that was just mentioned, as in The warranty covers the device and the parts thereof (translation: The warranty covers the device and the parts of the device).

Thereof is fairly formal. It’s often used in legal language, but it can also be used in everyday speech and writing.

Thereof is perhaps most commonly used in the phrase lack thereof, meaning the lack of the thing just mentioned. This is used in cases in which something is mentioned in a general way but the situation being discussed involves the lack of that thing, as in Most relationship problems are due to communication, or a lack thereof (translation: Most relationship problems are due to communication issues, specifically a lack of communication).

Other common phrases that use the word are combination thereof (meaning a combination of the things just mentioned) and portion thereof (meaning a portion of the things just mentioned).

Example: My research is focused on investigating the cause of the disease and the effects thereof.

Where does thereof come from?

The first records of the word thereof come from before 1000.

There are many similar words based on the combination of the word there and a preposition, each of which has a different meaning, including thereabout, thereabouts, thereafter, thereat, thereby, therefor, therefore, therefrom, therein, thereinafter, thereinto, thereon, thereto, theretofore, thereunder, thereupon, therewith, and therewithal.

Other words are constructed in similar ways, such as whereof, meaning “of what, which, or whom,” as in The person whereof I speak (translation: the person of whom I speak or The person I’m speaking about).

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for thereof?

• thence
• therefrom

What are some words that share a root or word element with thereof? 

• thereabout
• thereabouts
• thereafter
• thereat
• thereby
• therefor
• therefore
• therein
• thereinafter
• thereinto
• thereon
• thereto
• theretofore
• thereunder
• thereupon
• therewith
• therewithal
• whereof

What are some words that often get used in discussing thereof?

• lack
• combination
• portion
• use

How is thereof used in real life?

Thereof is fairly formal and is often used in legal language. But it’s not uncommon for it to be used in everyday speech, especially in phrases like a lack thereof or a combination thereof.

18 U.S. Code § 2383: "Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be…imprisoned not more than ten years" 🔥⚖️ https://t.co/lz7kSBRrmG

— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) January 22, 2021

The men from the 2020 season of #TheBachelorette join the women of #TheBachelor in releasing a joint statement: “We stand united in denouncing any racist behavior and any defense thereof”https://t.co/jBFUI2HMdi

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 12, 2021

To our Australian @gaslitnation listeners, who do you recommend we interview on climate policy in Australia, or lack thereof? #AustraliaFires #bushfirecrisis?

— Andrea Chalupa 🇺🇲 (@AndreaChalupa) December 31, 2019

If you don't believe systemic racism is real and prevalent after watching a bunch of white domestic terrorists storm the Capitol to take selfies and steal a podium with no police intervention, you're either stupid, willfully ignorant, full-on racist, or some combination thereof.

— Max Scoville (@MaxScoville) January 6, 2021

Try using thereof!

Is thereof used correctly in the following sentence?

I need to talk to you about your punctuality, or lack thereof.