What does whereabout mean?
Whereabout is an archaic singular English noun corresponding to the familiar modern plural whereabouts. It denotes the place, position, or general location of a person or thing, and in older usage it can also refer to the circumstances or condition in which someone is found. The form is encountered mainly in formal, literary, or deliberately archaic prose; for everyday reference to a person's location, modern English normally uses the whereabouts of: “We do not know the whereabouts of the missing explorer.” Whereabout is not an interrogative adverb meaning “where,” despite its appearance. Its historical interest lies in preserving an older singular noun form in a compound whose plural has become the standard. It remains useful in literary writing when the singular emphasis is intentional, but using it in ordinary conversation can sound affected or excessively formal.
nounAn archaic singular noun for the place, position, or general location of a person or thing. In older usage, it can also refer to the circumstances or condition in which someone is found.
- The place, position, or general location of a person or thing.
- The circumstances or condition in which a person is found, especially in older or literary usage.
"The old map indicated the whereabout of the ruined abbey."
"The old map indicated the whereabout of the ruined abbey."
"The letter sought to convey the whereabout of the stranded traveller, meaning the traveller's immediate condition."
The standard and usual modern form is plural, as in “the whereabouts of the missing witnesses.” The singular whereabout survives chiefly in archaic, literary, and formal contexts.
"Police have appealed for information on the whereabouts of the missing witnesses."
The word without the final s is the literary survivor; in everyday English, its plural has conquered the field.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of whereabout
The word was formed in Middle English from where and about, initially as an expression meaning “about where” or “in what place.” It developed into a noun for a place or position, while the plural whereabouts became the established modern form and whereabout survived as a singular variant. The components go back to Old English: where from hwǣr and about from ābutan, formed from ā (“away”) and ūt (“out”).
Related word forms
How whereabout is actually used
Whereabout is now chiefly archaic, literary, or deliberately formal. Modern English normally uses the plural form whereabouts. Its sense referring to someone's circumstances or condition is also more characteristic of older usage.
Easily confused with whereabout
Whereabouts is the standard plural form of the noun, whereas whereabout is a chiefly archaic or literary singular form.
Whereabout names a place or situation, while whereby means by which, as in a means by which a result can be achieved.