What does hereby mean?
Hereby is a formal English adverb used to mean "by this means" and, particularly in legal or official writing, "by means of this document or statement." It often appears in fixed expressions such as "I hereby appoint," "I hereby declare," or "I hereby certify," giving the words that follow a formal or legally operative force. In ordinary conversation, the word may sound archaic or ceremonial, but it remains useful in contracts, notices, proclamations, and other contexts where the exact means of an action must be stated. It is not limited to a particular English-speaking region. Although it can broadly suggest that something is done by a specified means, its characteristic use connects the action directly with the present document, speech, or declaration. This makes hereby especially distinctive in formal records, where it identifies the statement itself as the instrument authorizing or effecting what follows.
adverbHereby is a formal adverb meaning by this means or, in legal and official language, by means of this document, statement, or act.
- By this means; by so doing.
- By means of the document, statement, notice, or act in which the word appears.
"The parties hereby agree to settle the dispute under the terms set out below."
"The parties hereby agree to settle the dispute under the terms set out below."
"I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter and will respond shortly."
In a sentence such as "I hereby appoint," hereby quietly does the legal heavy lifting by tying the action to the present document.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hereby come from?
Hereby is an English compound formed from the elements here and by. The element here has Old English ancestry, while by also derives from Old English and originally expressed proximity. The compound was in use during the Middle English period and later became established in legal and official prose. Its relatives here, hereafter, herein, and herewith share the same spatial element and the broader pattern of forming adverbial compounds with here.
How hereby is actually used
Chiefly formal, legal, official, or ceremonious in register. It is especially common in documents and declarations beginning with phrases such as "I hereby," where it indicates action through the present statement.
Easily confused with hereby
Hereby can refer to the present document or means of acting, whereas thereby usually means as a result or in that way.