whereabouts
Americanadverb
conjunction
noun
adverb
-
Also: whereabout. at what approximate location or place; where
whereabouts are you?
-
obsolete about or concerning which
noun
Etymology
Origin of whereabouts
1400–50; late Middle English wheraboutes, equivalent to Middle English wheraboute ( see whereabout) + -s -s 1
Explanation
Your whereabouts are the place you are right now. When your dog gets lost, your family might form a search party to discover his whereabouts. Officially, the noun whereabouts can be treated as singular or plural, but it's more common to use it as plural. News stories about escaped prisoners or criminals on the run often mention that their whereabouts are unknown, and parents who like to keep tabs on a teenager's whereabouts sometimes buy her a cell phone. The earliest use of whereabouts, one sometimes used today, was as an interrogative adverb: "Whereabouts will you be this afternoon?"
Vocabulary lists containing whereabouts
Dear Martin
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Stone Fox" by John Reynolds Gardiner
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Charlotte's Web
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the bodycam footage, a police officer can be heard asking Nowak: "You've been stabbed, whereabouts?" before adding: "Don't think you have, mate."
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Days later, the El Dorado Sheriff’s Department issued a public appeal for any information about his whereabouts.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
The lack of information about Kardo Ranya's real name has also made it harder for individual police forces in Europe to track his whereabouts or follow leads beyond their own borders.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
She usually won’t know precisely where in Los Angeles he is—or, for that matter, the whereabouts of his 15-year-old brother, either.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Abby lay still, absorbing the knowledge that her whereabouts were unknown to the rest of the world.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
