whereas

whereas — conjunction

1. used to join two statements that are both true but different in a way that is wo

1.conjunctionB2
Definition

used to join two statements that are both true but different in a way that is worth noticing — the second statement contrasts with the first

Example

Sari loves living in a big city, whereas Gabriel prefers the peace of a small town.

contrast pattern: [preference A], whereas [preference B]

In Japan, people usually bow when greeting someone, whereas in many Western countries they shake hands.

contrasting cultural practices with whereas

Common collocations
  • whereas + [contrasting clause]
  • whereas + [pronoun + verb]
  • comma + whereas
Synonyms
  • while

    less formal; can also express time (B1)

  • on the other hand

    phrasal alternative; works as a discourse marker too (B1)

  • by contrast

    more formal; often begins a new sentence (B2)

Grammar Patterns

[statement A], whereas [statement B]

Usage Note

The clause that begins with 'whereas' always states the second point of contrast. Unlike 'while', 'whereas' never indicates a time relationship. In formal writing, a comma usually appears before 'whereas' when it connects two independent clauses.

Common Mistakes

Whereas it was raining, we stayed inside.
We stayed inside because it was raining.
'whereas' marks contrast, not cause. Use 'because' or 'since' for a reason.
Whereas, I went to the store.
I went to the store, whereas my brother stayed home.
'whereas' must connect two contrasting clauses; it cannot begin a standalone sentence in standard English.

whereas — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: conjunction/1

'Whereas', 'while', and 'on the other hand' all introduce a contrast, but they differ in formality and structure. 'Whereas' is the most formal and typically joins two clauses in a single sentence: 'Sari loves the city, whereas Gabriel prefers the countryside.' 'While' is less formal and can also express time ('She read while she ate'), which can cause ambiguity. 'On the other hand' is a discourse marker that often begins a new sentence, making it more flexible but less tightly linked: 'Sari loves the city. Gabriel, on the other hand, prefers the countryside.' 'By contrast' is similarly formal to 'whereas' but usually begins a new sentence. 'But' is the simplest and most common contrastive connector (A1 level) but conveys weaker, less structured contrast than 'whereas'. For formal writing or when you want to highlight two parallel facts in a balanced way, 'whereas' is the best choice.

while ↗on the other handby contrast ↗but ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • whereas clause
  • whereas paragraph
  • whereas recital

Phrases

  • whereas + subject + verb
  • comma + whereas

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Middle English from 'where' + 'as', originally meaning 'where' in a literal sense. It then developed a logical meaning of 'considering that' in legal documents of the 14th and 15th centuries, which later broadened into the modern contrastive sense 'while on the contrary'. The noun senses emerged from the legal tradition of opening a formal document with the word 'Whereas…'.