As a result, therefore, as in She was away for years and in consequence has few friends here. The prepositional phrase in consequence of means "as a result of," as in In consequence of this finding, there is sure to be further investigation. [Late 1600s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.