Consequentially

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. As an outcome of a specific event, leading to notable effects on subsequent situations
2. In a manner that results from preceding actions, often producing significant impacts on later developments
3. As a result of prior events, leading to important ramifications in subsequent occurrences

Etymology: "Consequentially" is simply "consequential" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added to it. The suffix has a long ancestry: it descends from a Proto-Germanic form "*-līkaz," which meant "having the body or form of," and it passed through Old English "-līċe" and Middle English "-ly" before becoming the everyday adverb-maker it is now. The same suffix sits behind "quickly," "likely," and countless other English adverbs. The base word "consequential" comes from "consequent," meaning "following as a result," with the adjective-forming ending "-ial" attached. So the adverb stacks three layers: a verb-like sense of following after, an adjective meaning "important as a result," and finally the adverb marker. In practice the word is most often used to describe events that matter because of what they set in motion, as in "consequentially, the factory closed."

Synonyms: therefore, as a result, accordingly

Antonyms: unrelatedly