whereas: Meaning and Definition of

where•as

Pronunciation: (hwâr-az', wâr-), [key]
— conj., n., pl. where•as•es.
—conj.
  1. while on the contrary: One arrived promptly, whereas the others hung back.
  2. it being the case that, or considering that (used esp. in formal preambles).
—n.
  1. a qualifying or introductory statement, esp. one having “whereas” as the first word: to read the whereases in the will.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.