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Synonyms

whereabouts

American  
[hwair-uh-bouts, wair-] / ˈʰwɛər əˌbaʊts, ˈwɛər- /

adverb

  1. about where? where?

conjunction

  1. near or in what place.

    trying to find whereabouts in the world we were.

noun

  1. (used with a singular or plural verb) the place where a person or thing is; the locality of a person or thing.

    no clue as to his whereabouts.
whereabouts British  
/ ˈwɛərəˌbaʊts /

adverb

  1. Also: whereabout.  at what approximate location or place; where

    whereabouts are you?

  2. obsolete about or concerning which

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. (functioning as singular or plural) the place, esp the approximate place, where a person or thing is

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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?"

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Vocabulary lists containing whereabouts

Dear Martin

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"Stone Fox" by John Reynolds Gardiner

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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.

Speculation swirled Saturday about Swalwell’s whereabouts after the congressman announced that he intended to spend time with his wife.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

There has been no update on their whereabouts.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

“Her whereabouts are absolutely unknown,” a police officer told the Star-Telegram.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is also urged to contact the force.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

“What do we need a phone for, my darling? The general populace does not need to know our whereabouts, and those who love us can always find us.”

From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo

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.