where

American  

[hwair, wair] / ʰwɛər, wɛər /

adverb

1. in or at what place?.

   Where is he? Where do you live?

2. in what position or circumstances?.

   Where do you stand on this question? Without money, where are you?

3. in what particular respect, way, etc.?.

   Where does this affect us?

4. to what place, point, or end? whither?.

   Where are you going?

5. from what source? whence?.

   Where did you get such a notion?

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conjunction

1. in or at what place, part, point, etc..

   Find where he is. Find where the trouble is.

2. in or at the place, part, point, etc., in or at which.

   The book is where you left it.

3. in a position, case, etc., in which.

   Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.

4. in any place, position, case, etc., in which; wherever.

   Use the ointment where pain is felt.

5. to what or whatever place; to the place or any place to which.

   I will go where you go.

6. in or at which place; and there.

   They came to the town, where they lodged for the night.

pronoun

1. what place?.

   Where did you come from?

2. the place in which; point at which.

   This is where the boat docks. That was where the phone rang.

noun

1. a place; that place in which something is located or occurs.

   the wheres and hows of job hunting.

idioms

1. where it's at, where the most exciting, prestigious, or profitable activity or circumstance is to be found.

where British  

/ wɛə /

adverb

1. 1. in, at, or to what place, point, or position?

      where are you going?

   2. ( used in indirect questions )

      I don't know where they are

2. in, at, or to which (place)

   the hotel where we spent our honeymoon

3. (subordinating) in the place at which

   where we live it's always raining

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noun

1. (usually plural) a question as to the position, direction, or destination of something

where More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing where

• close to home (hit where one lives)
• fools rush in where angels fear to tread
• give credit (where credit is due)
• know where one stands
• let the chips fall where they may
• not know where to turn
• put one's money where one's mouth is
• take up where one left off
• tell someone where to get off
• this is where I came in

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Usage

Where … at ( Where was he at? ) and where … to ( Where is this leading to? ) are often criticized as redundant because neither at nor to adds anything to the meaning of where, and sentences like the preceding ones are perfectly clear and standard without the final at or to. This criticism does not apply to where … from, which is fully standard: Where does the money come from? The constructions where … at and where … to occur in the speech of educated people but are rare in formal speech and edited writing.

It was formerly considered incorrect to use where as a substitute for in which after a noun which did not refer to a place or position, but this use has now become acceptable: we now have a situation where/in which no further action is needed

Etymology

Origin of where

First recorded before 900; Middle English quher, wher, Old English hwǣr; cognate with Dutch waar, Old High German hwār; akin to Old Norse hvar, Gothic hwar

Example Sentences

Signs of strain also are showing in India, where the share of micro loans at least 30 days overdue tripled to 6.2% in 12 months to March 2025, the most recent data.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

It opens in a London pub, where Rodrigo is besotted by a boy who "looks like an angel on the walls of Versailles".

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Late last month, the top US general overseeing operations in Latin America visited Guantanamo, where he met with Cuban military leaders.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

England stars hail from Torquay to Blyth, with many players still closely tied to where they grew up.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

But Josefina Veluya—the little girl playing make-believe—has stories of her own, ones where God speaks to her and tells her what to do.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly