What does consequently mean?
"Consequently" is a formal adverb meaning "as a result" or "for that reason", used to show that one statement follows logically from another. It is the connective tissue of argument: when a writer says the bridge inspection failed and, consequently, traffic was diverted, the word makes the causal link explicit rather than leaving readers to infer it. Grammatically it functions as a sentence adverb, most often opening a clause after a semicolon or period, though it may also follow a conjunction like "and." Derived from Latin consequi, meaning "to follow closely," it entered English in the seventeenth century alongside its relatives "consequence" and "consequent." Because it is more emphatic than everyday alternatives like "so," it is especially at home in academic writing, legal documents, and careful prose, where precision of reasoning matters and each step of an argument must be visibly connected to the last.
adverbAs a result of something; for that reason. It introduces a statement that follows logically or causally from what has just been said.
- As a result of something just stated; for that reason.
"The roads were icy; consequently, the school closed for the day."
"She missed several weeks of training; consequently, she was not selected for the team."
"Demand for housing has risen sharply, and consequently prices have climbed across the region."
Every "consequently" is a hidden chain reaction in a sentence — swap it for "therefore" and you lose four centuries of Latin logic packed into five syllables.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consequently
"Consequently" derives from the Latin consequens, present participle of consequi, meaning "to follow closely or accompany." The related noun "consequence" entered English via Old French in the late Middle Ages, and the adverb "consequently" followed in the early seventeenth century, formed directly from "consequent" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly." Its Latin root combines com- ("together") with sequi ("to follow"), the same verb behind "sequence," "consecutive," and "sequel."
How consequently is actually used
"Consequently" belongs chiefly to formal and written registers — academic prose, reports, journalism — where it signals an explicit cause-and-effect link between statements. It typically begins a clause after a semicolon or full stop, or follows a conjunction such as "and". In casual speech speakers more often say "so" or "that's why".
Easily confused with consequently
"Subsequently" means afterwards or later in time, while "consequently" means as a result or for that reason — one is about time order, the other about cause and effect.