whereabouts

whereabouts — noun

IPA/ˈweərəbaʊts/
KK[wˈɛrəbˌaʊts]IPA/ˈwerəbaʊts/

1. the general area where someone or something can be found, especially when that l

1.nounB2
Definition

the general area where someone or something can be found, especially when that location has not yet been confirmed

Example

The police are still trying to determine the whereabouts of the missing child.

determine whereabouts of [person]

Haruto's whereabouts remained unknown to the rescue team for three days.

possessive + whereabouts + remain unknown

Common collocations
  • determine whereabouts
  • track whereabouts
  • current whereabouts
  • unknown whereabouts
  • whereabouts of
Synonyms
  • location

    more general and neutral; whereabouts often implies that the place is unknown or being searched for

  • position

    can refer to a specific point rather than a general area

Grammar Patterns

the whereabouts of [person/thing]

[possessive] whereabouts

Usage Note

Always appears in plural form (whereabouts), though it can take either a singular verb ('his whereabouts is unknown') or a plural verb ('his whereabouts are unknown'). Singular is more common in formal British English.

Common Mistakes

I told the police my whereabout.
I told the police my whereabouts.
This noun is always spelled with the final -s, even when referring to a single location.

whereabouts — adverb

IPA/ˌweə.rəˈbaʊts/
KK[wˈɛrəbˌaʊts]IPA/ˌwer.əˈbaʊts/

whereabouts — conjunction

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Whereabouts' differs from 'location' in that it often refers to a general area rather than a precise point, and it is used especially when the exact place is unknown or being searched for. 'Location' is more neutral and can be exact or general — a store's location is a fixed address, while someone's whereabouts may be a city or region. 'Position' refers to the specific point where something is placed relative to its surroundings, like a chair's position in a room. 'Place' is the most general of the four and can refer to any physical area, building, or spot. For example: 'The police know the whereabouts of the suspect (general area) but not his exact location (specific address).'

whereabouts ↗location ↗position ↗place ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • current whereabouts
  • exact whereabouts
  • precise whereabouts
  • unknown whereabouts

Phrases

  • the whereabouts of someone/something

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Combined from 'where' + 'about' + the adverbial genitive suffix '-s' (similar to the '-s' in 'always' or 'needs'). In Middle English, 'wher aboutes' was used as an adverb meaning 'about where' or 'near what place'. The noun sense — referring to a person's or thing's location — developed in the 16th and 17th centuries as the word shifted from asking about location to describing location.