whereabouts

1 of 3

adverb

where·​abouts ˈ(h)wer-ə-ˌbau̇ts How to pronounce whereabouts (audio)
variants or less commonly whereabout
: about where : near what place
whereabouts is the house

whereabouts

2 of 3

noun

variants or less commonly whereabout
singular or plural in construction
: the place or general locality where a person or thing is
their present whereabouts are a secret

whereabouts

3 of 3

conjunction

variants or less commonly whereabout
1
: near what place : where
know whereabouts he lives
2
obsolete : on what business or errand

Did you know?

Whereabouts Is or whereabouts Are?

Whereabouts may function as an adverb (“Whereabouts is it?”), a conjunction (“I know whereabouts he lives”), or a noun (“Her whereabouts were unknown”). The noun form may provoke confusion because it feels singular but looks plural; should one write “her whereabouts were” or "her whereabouts was”? Because the final -s is an adverbial suffix, not a plural ending (similar to the one at the end of besides), certain usage commentators have insisted on treating whereabouts as a singular noun. In spite of this, you should feel comfortable pairing it with a plural verb; while some have employed singular verbs with this word, the plural (“her whereabouts were”) has become the regular choice.

Examples of whereabouts in a Sentence

Adverb Whereabouts did you park the car? whereabouts do you expect to be on your journey tonight?
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Perhaps the public’s sense of entitlement to the royals’ whereabouts hints at a different belief: If British citizens are partially financing their lifestyles through their taxes, the royals owe them frequent glimpses of that life in return. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 All this might seem silly, but the mob-like mentality regarding Middleton’s whereabouts speaks to a wider disconnect and distrust between the royals and their subjects. Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Authenticity is the least of it: the mystery surrounding Catherine’s illness and prolonged recovery, out of the public eye, has spawned wild rumors about her physical and mental health, her whereabouts, and her relationship with William. Mark Landler, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 After months of speculation on the whereabouts of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales and future Queen of England, the Royal Family released an image on Sunday that appeared to have been edited. Alex Cranz, The Verge, 11 Mar. 2024 Speculation over the Princess of Wales’s health and whereabouts comes at a sensitive time for the royal family, after Buckingham Palace disclosed last month that King Charles had been diagnosed with a form of cancer. TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 The figures are presented without anything that might suggest their whereabouts or their lives. Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Fans enjoyed capturing his movements on camera, while many more followed his whereabouts online, including on the popular X account Manhattan Bird Alert. Helier Cheung, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024 However, for the past 48 hours, conspiracy theories about the whereabouts of Kate Middleton have been shared wildly on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whereabouts.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English wheraboutes (from wher aboute + -s, adverb suffix) & wher aboute, from where, wher where + about, aboute about — more at whence

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined above

Conjunction

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of whereabouts was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near whereabouts

Cite this Entry

“Whereabouts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whereabouts. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whereabouts

1 of 2 adverb
where·​abouts -ə-ˌbau̇ts How to pronounce whereabouts (audio)
variants also whereabout
: about where
whereabouts is the house

whereabouts

2 of 2 noun singular or plural
: the place where a person or thing is
do you know their whereabouts

More from Merriam-Webster on whereabouts

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!