demnach

Demnach is a German adverb used to introduce a conclusion or consequence that follows from what has been stated previously. It roughly corresponds to English words such as thus, therefore, or accordingly, signaling that the preceding information leads to a specific result.

In usage, demnach is common in formal and written German, including academic, scientific, legal, and journalistic texts. It functions as a conjunctive adverb that links the stated premise to a derived conclusion. In everyday speech, speakers often opt for more colloquial alternatives such as also, deshalb, or daher, so demnach has a more formal or analytical tone.

Etymologically, demnach is a compound formed from dem (the dative form of der/die/das) and nach, meaning approximately “according to that” or “following that.” Today it is treated as a fixed, single word that marks a conclusion rather than serving as a separate preposition.

Examples: Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine klare Tendenz. Demnach ist mit einer weiteren Zunahme zu rechnen. Es regnet stark, demnach bleiben wir vermutlich zu Hause. The first example demonstrates a conclusion drawn from data; the second shows how a consequence follows a meteorological observation.

Related expressions include dementsprechend, folglich, daher, and deshalb. All convey a similar sense of consequence or inference, but they vary in formality and nuance. Demnach tends to emphasize a logical deduction from prior statements and is most at home in written or formal discourse.