whereabouts

[ hwair-uh-bouts, wair- ]

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

/ ˈwɛərəˌbaʊts /

adverb

1. Alsowhereabout at what approximate location or place; where

   whereabouts are you?

2. obsolete.
   about or concerning which

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of whereabouts¹

1400–50; late Middle English wheraboutes, equivalent to Middle English wheraboute ( whereabout ) + -s -s ¹

Example Sentences

Prime suspect Mr Lamba, 23, is thought to have fled the country and his current whereabouts are unknown.

From BBC

US state department spokesman Matthew Miller meanwhile told a news conference in Washington that he was “not in a position to dispute the reports” about the whereabouts of Hamas’s leadership.

From BBC

It is unclear if the whereabouts of the other rioters are known.

From BBC

Over the years, the Eritrean government has provided no information on his whereabouts or health, and many who were jailed alongside him are presumed dead.

From BBC

Their families are often left in the dark about their whereabouts.

From BBC