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

Photos have been provided to assist in the identification of the mother and son, but anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the two missing persons are encouraged to contact the Santa Maria Police Department. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

Anyone with information on Kobayashi's whereabouts is asked to call Los Angeles police at 1-877-527-3247 orThe Rad Movement at 619-904-0840. —James Powel, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2024

Authorities have asked anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts to contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or their confidential tip line at 1-800-220-TIPS. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 Nov. 2024

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Velez is asked to call the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office at 407-665-6650 or dial 911. —Brian Bell, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Nov. 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 plural or singular noun

: the place where a person or thing is

do you know their whereabouts