whereabouts

1 of 3

adverb

where·​abouts ˈ(h)wer-ə-ˌbau̇ts 

variants or less commonly whereabout

ˈ(h)wer-ə-ˌbau̇t 

: 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.

Synonyms of whereabouts

Adverb

• where

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

Robert Redford’s death last year renewed interest in the case and in the whereabouts of Smika, who is the subject of an arrest warrant backed by new evidence. — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026

Since then, the military have kept her exact whereabouts and condition secret as a deadly civil war has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

In 2014, Boko Haram took almost three hundred girls from a secondary school in Chibok; the whereabouts of some ninety are still unknown. — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Anyone with information on Daniel’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Kansas City Police Department’s missing persons unit at 816-234-5043. — Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for whereabouts

• hereabouts
• roundabouts
• thereabouts
• bailouts
• blackouts
• blowouts
• breakouts
• buyouts
• cutouts
• dropouts
• dugouts
• handouts

Kids Definition

whereabouts

1 of 2 adverb

where·​abouts -ə-ˌbau̇ts 

variants also whereabout

-ˌbau̇t 

: about where

whereabouts is the house

whereabouts

2 of 2 plural or singular noun

: the place where a person or thing is

do you know their whereabouts