1
a
: reasonably close to
about a year ago
b
: almost
about starved
just about finished
c
: on the verge of
—usually used with be and a following infinitive
is about to join the army
—used with a negative to express intention or determinationnot about to quit
2
: on all sides : around
looked about for a place to park
3
a
: in rotation
They go about in circles.
b
: around the outside
4
: in many different directions : here and there
walked about for hours
5
: in the vicinity : near
He spoke to the people standing about.
6
: in the opposite direction
face about
the other way about
1
: in a circle around : on every side of : around
People gathered about him.
2
a
: in the immediate neighborhood of : near
Fish are abundant about the reefs.
b
: on or near the person of
had a pleasing fragrance about her
c
: in the makeup of
a mature wisdom about him
d
: at the command of
has his wits about him
3
: engaged in
… act as if they know what they're about …—
T. S. Matthews
T. S. Matthews4
a
: with regard to : concerning
spoke about his past
b
: concerned with
c
: fundamentally concerned with or directed toward
… poker is about money.—David Mamet
David Mamet5
: over or in different parts of
He traveled about the country.
1
: moving from place to place
specifically
: being out of bed
is up and about by 7 a.m.
2
: around sense 2
There is a scarcity of jobs about.
Synonyms of about
Relevance
Adverb
Preposition
Examples of about in a Sentence
Adverb
We're about ready to go.
This one is about as bad as that one.
That's about all I know at this point.
It's about time to go.
That's about all the time we have.
We tried just about everything we could think of.
Preposition
a poignant story about a young man who goes off to war
about the hedge there was a picket fence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 Dec. 2025
The closest major international airport is Venice Marco Polo (VCE), about 90 minutes away.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Gaelle Legrand, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2025
DeBoer would be about as surefire of a hire as Penn State could find.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The holiday season is officially in full swing, but December is about to get a little brighter!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for about
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
Located about 25 miles northeast of Louisville, La Grange is exactly the community your mind conjures when tasked with imagining small-town America.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 Dec. 2025
The closest major international airport is Venice Marco Polo (VCE), about 90 minutes away.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Preposition
India is also the world's largest consumer of silver, with about 4,000 metric tons used every year, mostly for jewelry, utensils and ornaments.
—Gaelle Legrand, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2025
DeBoer would be about as surefire of a hire as Penn State could find.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Adjective
However, the report projected this decades-long trend is about to change.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The holiday season is officially in full swing, but December is about to get a little brighter!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for about
Cite this Entry
“About.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/about. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
about
1 of 2 adverb1
: on all sides : around
wander about
people standing about
2
a
: reasonably close to : approximately, nearly
about three years
about ready to go
b
: on the verge of
is about to go home
3
: in the opposite direction
face about
about
2 of 2 preposition1
: on every side of : around
houses about the lake
2
a
b
: in the possession of
had no pencil about her
c
: in the control of
keeps her wits about her
3
: in the act or process of doing
do it well while you're about it
4
: having to do with : concerning
tell me about it
a book about birds
5
: over or in different parts of
traveled about the country
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