Hence means “for this reason” or “as a result.” It connects something that has been said with its logical conclusion or consequence.
From Middle English “hennes,” meaning “from here,” combining “hen” (here) and an old adverbial ending “-es.” Over time it shifted from a physical sense of “from this place” to a logical sense of “from this fact.”
When you see “hence,” imagine someone drawing an arrow from cause to effect: ‘This happened → hence that happened.’ It’s a favorite in formal writing because it feels neat and logical, like doing math with words. Swapping it with “so” in your head often gives you the exact same meaning.
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