Consequently

Consequently is an adverb that means "as a result" or "therefore." It is used to express a logical consequence of what has been stated previously and to connect two clauses or sentences.

In formal writing, consequently is a conjunctive adverb that links two independent clauses, typically preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma: "The experiment failed; consequently, the team revised the protocol." It can also begin a sentence following a period: "The experiment failed. Consequently, the team revised the protocol." In less formal writing, "therefore" or "thus" may be used instead. Consequently signals a causal relationship and is most effective when the relationship between the preceding and following clauses is clear.

Origin: consequently comes from Latin consequens meaning "following," through the noun consequence and the adjective consequent, with the addition of the -ly suffix to form an adverb. Related terms include consequence (the result), consequential (significant or following as a result), and synonyms such as therefore, hence, thus, and as a result.