Can You Use “As Such” to Mean “Therefore”?

Can you see a problem with how the linking phrase “as such” is used in the following?

I’ve had a long day. As such, I’m getting an early night.

Simple enough, right? It’s just using “as such” to mean “therefore”, linking the two sentences. And this may well be something that you’ve seen a thousand times before.

However, many people consider this an error. Here, I’m going to explain why.

Why Is Using “As Such” to Mean “Therefore” an Error?

To see why using “as such” to mean “therefore” is an error, we first have to look at how it is traditionally used. The key is that the “such” in “as such” is a pronoun (i.e. a word that replaces a previously mentioned noun in a sentence to prevent repetition). For example:

He is a king. As such, he can have your head chopped off.

Here, the “such” in “as such” is referring to the noun “king”. It’s essentially saying:

He is a king. As a king, he can have your head chopped off.

The “proper” use of “as such”, then, requires a previously mentioned noun. It is like saying “in such a capacity” or “in such a role”. And without a preceding capacity or role to refer to, it doesn’t (technically) make sense. For instance, let’s return to our opening example:

I’ve had a long day. As such, I’m getting an early night.

Here, the first sentence doesn’t mention any role or capacity that might be replaced with “such”. Unlike “He is a king”, then, it doesn’t offer anything for “such” to refer to. And this grammatical inconsistency is why using “as such” like this is considered an error.

How Should You Use “As Such” in Your Writing?

In formal English (e.g. if you’re writing an essay, white paper, or business report), aim to use “as such” to mean “in such a capacity” rather than “therefore” or “as a result”.

If you’re not sure whether to use “as such”, then ask “As what?” For instance, the answer to “as such” in our “He is a king” example is “As a king”. Another example might be:

Neil Armstrong was the first person on the moon. As such, he is a great historical figure.

Here, the answer to “As what?” is “As the first person on the moon”.

The test can also help you spot when “as such” doesn’t fit. For instance:

I’ve lost my glasses. As such, I can’t see anything.

This time, we’re left asking “As what?” It couldn’t be “As my glasses”! And that’s the only noun in the first sentence (unless we include the person pronoun “I”). Thus, we know that “as such” must be wrong here as it doesn’t fit grammatically with the first sentence.

If, like in this example, you can’t answer the “As what?” questions with a noun or noun phrase, then you’ll probably need another term! And if you need something to use in place of “As such”, then “therefore”, or synonyms such as “as a result”, “accordingly”, “thus,” and “consequently”, should fit the bill. For instance:

I’ve lost my glasses. As a result, I can’t see anything.

This will help to ensure your writing always reads smoothly and correctly.

Is It Ever Okay to Use “As Such” to Mean “Therefore”?

Typically, style guides and dictionaries advise against using “as such” to mean “therefore”. Where they even acknowledge it, it is usually qualified as “vulgar” or “colloquial”. And this has been the case for a long time, with the earliest recorded usage in the nineteenth century.

However, for me at least, the colloquial use of “as such” to mean “therefore” is rarely a problem in less formal English. Some say it’s ambiguous because it doesn’t answer the “As what?” question. But is anyone really likely to become confused?

In practice most people will know you mean “therefore”. It’s just a grammatical faux pas.

If you’re fine with that (and know your readers will be too), then there’s no need to stress. But if you’re not sure, then it’s safer to avoid using “as such” to mean “therefore”.