Used to introduce a statement that contrasts with or is different from something previously mentioned. In legal contexts, it introduces background facts or conditions.
From Middle English, combining 'where' (in what place or situation) and 'as' (in the way that). Originally meant 'in what place' but evolved to mean 'in view of the fact that' or 'while on the contrary.'
In legal documents, 'whereas' clauses are like the setup in a joke - they establish all the background facts that make the main conclusion logical and necessary, which is why contracts are full of them!
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