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
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
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The roughly 8 million passenger cars and light trucks brought into the US last year accounted for about half of US vehicle sales.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
The terminations, which were part of a broader push to cut federal bureaucracy and spending, have left federal workers bewildered and worried about the future of public lands.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2025
Carolyn Thompson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
While the Civil War holds the Lebanese capital captive and everyone just tries to survive, the biggest bank robbery of all times is about to go down.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 21 Feb. 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.
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Adverb
Fort Knox is a Kentucky military installation about 40 miles south of Louisville, known for holding more than 147 million ounces of the U.S.' gold reserves.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The roughly 8 million passenger cars and light trucks brought into the US last year accounted for about half of US vehicle sales.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Preposition
The trail workers also maintain campsites, educate campers about fire safety and douse campfires that are left smoldering.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
The terminations, which were part of a broader push to cut federal bureaucracy and spending, have left federal workers bewildered and worried about the future of public lands.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Matar ran onto the stage at the Chautauqua Institution where Rushdie was about to speak on Aug. 12, 2022, and stabbed him more than a dozen times before a live audience.
—Carolyn Thompson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
While the Civil War holds the Lebanese capital captive and everyone just tries to survive, the biggest bank robbery of all times is about to go down.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for about
Dictionary Entries Near about
Cite this Entry
“About.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/about. Accessed 24 Feb. 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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