Whence means “from where” or “from what place.” It's an old-fashioned word you'll find in classic books and formal writing, but rarely in everyday conversation.

In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf might ask “Whence came you?” instead of “Where did you come from?” When someone in an old story says “Return whence you came,” they mean “Go back to where you started.” The word points backward to an origin or source.

You might see whence used to ask about the source of an idea or situation: “Whence came this strange custom?” means “Where did this custom originate?” If you read that someone returned to the village whence they departed, it means they went back to the village they had left.

Today, most people simply say “where... from” instead: “Where did you come from?” sounds more natural than “Whence came you?” But when you encounter whence in your reading, you'll know it's asking about origins and sources.