hereinafter

IPA/ˌhɪərɪnˈɑːftə(r)/
IPA/ˌhɪrɪnˈæftər/

hereinafter — adverb

1. used in contracts, statutes, and other formal writing to mean from this point fo

1.adverbC2
Definition

used in contracts, statutes, and other formal writing to mean from this point forward in the same document; signals that a name, term, or short label introduced now will be used again in the pages that follow.

Example

The tenant, Joaquín Ramos (hereinafter "the Tenant"), agrees to pay rent on the first of each month.

hereinafter "X" — introduces a short label for a named party

Acme Logistics Limited (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") shall provide all packing materials at no extra cost.

hereinafter referred to as — fixed legal phrasing

Common collocations
  • hereinafter referred to as
  • hereinafter called
  • hereinafter known as
  • hereinafter the Tenant / the Company / the Parties
  • as set out hereinafter
Synonyms
  • hereafter

    near-synonym in legal text; also covers future time more broadly outside documents

  • below

    the everyday alternative; safe in any non-legal document

  • henceforth

    formal but means 'from this time onward' in real life, not within a document

Antonyms
  • hereinbefore

    the formal opposite, referring to what was written earlier in the same document

  • above

    everyday opposite, pointing to an earlier part of a document

Grammar Patterns

hereinafter referred to as + noun

hereinafter called + noun

Usage Note

Restricted to legal, regulatory, and other formal written documents — it does not appear in spoken English or in everyday writing. Almost always used to introduce a short defined label for a longer name, in the fixed patterns 'hereinafter referred to as X' or 'hereinafter called X'.

Common Mistakes

I will explain hereinafter how to cook the rice.
I will explain below how to cook the rice.
'hereinafter' belongs to legal documents, not casual writing or speech.
See the photo hereinafter for the venue.
See the photo below for the venue.
for ordinary documents, use 'below', 'later', or 'in the following section'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words point a reader forward, but each lives in a different register and situation. 'Hereinafter' is almost exclusively legal: it appears in contracts, statutes, and policies, usually in the set phrase 'hereinafter referred to as X' to introduce a short label for a long name. 'Hereafter' overlaps with 'hereinafter' inside legal text, but in ordinary writing it shifts meaning to 'from this time onwards in real life' — 'Hereafter, the office will open at nine'. 'Below' is the neutral everyday choice in any document: an article, a report, a how-to guide; it carries no formality. 'Henceforth' is formal but refers to real-world time, not document position, so 'Henceforth, all visitors must sign in' tells a reader about a new rule starting now, while 'hereinafter' would never fit that sentence.

hereinafter ↗hereafter ↗below ↗henceforth ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the Tenant
  • the Company
  • the Parties
  • the Agreement

Phrases

  • hereinafter referred to as
  • hereinafter called
  • hereinafter known as
  • as set out hereinafter

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishLegal English

Built in Middle English by joining three short pieces: 'here' (this place), 'in' (within), and 'after' (following). Read literally it means 'within this, afterwards' — that is, 'further on inside this document'. The compound settled into legal English in the 15th century and has stayed there ever since, while everyday English moved on to 'below' or 'later'.