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

Adverb

• where
• whither

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

As evidenced by the recent fervor over the whereabouts of Catherine, Princess of Wales, culminating in her pre-recorded cancer announcement, there remains a tension between the royals and the press. —Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the women is asked to contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at [e-mail] or 1-800-522-8017. CORRECTION (April 4, 2024, 4:25 p.m. —Antonio Planas, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024

The recent furor over the whereabouts of Catherine, Princess of Wales, better known as Kate Middleton, shows how easily online groups can drift into conspiracy theories, and how those theories, in turn, can surge into mainstream culture. —Amanda Taub, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024

See here: Public speculation over Kate’s whereabouts and health has ballooned into a social media frenzy of conspiracy theories and memes. —Allison Morrow, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024

Anyone with information on Carson’s whereabouts is asked to call 812-837-9536. —Brenda Ordonez, The Enquirer, 16 Mar. 2024

These advanced tools enable organizations to efficiently monitor the whereabouts of their workforce, particularly during emergencies. —Q Hamirani, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

So, grab a shovel (and an onion) and dig into the whereabouts of our favorite D-Tent dudes (and the grown-ups, too) in the years since the Holes cast first came together. —Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024

There are six people whose whereabouts still remain unaccounted for, per a press conference Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld held mid-morning today. —Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024

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

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 noun singular or plural

: the place where a person or thing is

do you know their whereabouts