wherefore
Other forms: wherefores
Even though you might think wherefore means "where," it really means the "why" behind something.
You're most likely to see wherefore in an old book, as it's not used often today. Occasionally writers still use the phrase "the whys and wherefores," to mean all of the underlying causes of something. Possibly the most famous use of the word is in "Romeo and Juliet," when Juliet says, "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" She doesn't mean "where are you?" but "why are you Romeo," or "why do you have to be a Montague, enemy of my family?"
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the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase `the whys and wherefores'
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Vocabulary lists containing wherefore
This seven-part poem tells the story of a sailor who brings a curse on his ship after killing an albatross, a giant sea bird considered to be a good omen.
As you read Act 2 of William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," learn this word list. Here are links to lists for texts in Grade 9's Collection 4: Love's Vocabulary, elements of Shakespearean drama, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Romeo and Juliet, Act 4, Romeo and Juliet, Act 5, Pyramus and Thisbe, Duty
