hereby

IPA/ˌhɪəˈbaɪ/
KK[hɪrbˈaɪ]IPA/ˌhɪrˈbaɪ/

hereby — adverb

1. used in official documents or public statements to show that the person speaking

1.adverbB2
Definition

used in official documents or public statements to show that the person speaking or writing is making something happen or legally effective by saying these words

Example

The mayor hereby declares the new public library officially open.

hereby + performative present-tense verb in official ceremony

I, Amara Osei, hereby confirm that all information in this form is true and complete.

hereby confirm: formal written declaration with full identity

Common collocations
  • hereby declare
  • hereby agree
  • hereby certify
  • hereby confirm
  • hereby award
  • hereby order
  • hereby state
  • hereby give notice
  • hereby acknowledge
Synonyms
  • by this means

    more general, not limited to official or legal contexts

  • thus

    more literary and academic in tone; does not carry the legal performative force

  • herewith

    equally formal, used mainly in written correspondence to mean 'with this letter'

Grammar Patterns

hereby + present-tense verb

Usage Note

Only used in formal written statements and official speech (ceremonies, court rulings, contracts, certificates). Never used in everyday conversation. The subject is typically an institution (court, committee, mayor, board) or the speaker using 'I'. The verb must be in the present tense — 'hereby' does not combine with past or future forms.

Common Mistakes

I hereby apologize for being late to the party.
I apologize for being late to the party.
'Hereby' sounds unnatural in informal situations; reserve it for official or legal contexts.
The company hereby donated the money to the school.
The company hereby donates the money to the school.
'Hereby' requires the present tense, not the past.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

These four formal adverbs serve different discourse functions. 'Hereby' means 'by this very statement or document' and is performative — uttering it carries out the legal action (e.g., 'I hereby resign from the board'). 'Thereby' means 'as a result of that previous action' and describes a consequence (e.g., 'She withdrew her complaint, thereby ending the investigation'). 'Herewith' means 'with this letter or document' and is used when enclosing or accompanying something (e.g., 'Please find my signed contract herewith'). 'Thus' is the broadest of the four, meaning 'in this way' or 'therefore,' and appears across academic and formal writing without any legal force. Example that shows the contrast: 'The board hereby approves the merger, thereby creating the largest healthcare network in the region.'

hereby ↗thereby ↗herewith ↗thus ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • hereby declare
  • hereby agree
  • hereby certify
  • hereby confirm
  • hereby award
  • hereby order
  • hereby state
  • hereby give notice
  • hereby acknowledge

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Comes from Old English 'hēr' (in this place) + 'bī' (near, at hand). Originally it meant 'by this place' or 'near here,' but by the 1400s it had taken on a legal meaning in official documents — 'by this document or statement.' The performative use (where saying the word itself carries out the action) became standard in contracts, court orders, and royal proclamations.