Word Origin Atlas

Exact historical dictionary sense

Then in Webster's 1913 dictionary

The 1913 record labels then as adverb. Its source-bounded etymology and selected historical definition appear below.

WEBSTER 1913adverb
Then

[Originally the same word as than. See Than.]

Cross-verified historical sense
The source text may be outdated. The page preserves that historical boundary.
Cross-verified 1913 record
Headwordthen
Part of speechadverb
Historical etymology[Originally the same word as than. See Than.]
Selected historical definitionAt that time (referring to a time specified, either past or future).
Signed record IDwebster1913-then-adverb-4e74f8d71ee2
Source locatorCIDE.T, paragraph 3580; Gutenberg eBook 669
Edition-scoped answerNot earliest-attestation proofNot modern consensus
Independent historical textProject Gutenberg section 669Signed structural record sourceGNU GCIDE 0.54 archive
Quick answer

In Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), "then" is labeled adverb. Its etymology is recorded as: "[Originally the same word as than. See Than.]" The selected historical definition says: "At that time (referring to a time specified, either past or future)."

Project Gutenberg Webster 1913 plus signed GNU GCIDE 0.54 Exact cross-verified historical record reviewed 2026-09-05

What this answer proves

One named sense in one historical dictionary edition.

The answer reports the selected headword, part of speech, etymology, definition, and source locator as transcribed in the cross-verified 1913 record.

Evidence boundaryIt does not establish the earliest attestation or a complete borrowing chain.It does not claim current scholarly consensus or a modern dictionary definition.Historical dictionary text may be obsolete, incomplete, inaccurate, or offensive by modern standards.

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