where
Americanadverb
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in or at what place?.
Where is he? Where do you live?
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in what position or circumstances?.
Where do you stand on this question? Without money, where are you?
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in what particular respect, way, etc.?.
Where does this affect us?
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to what place, point, or end? whither?.
Where are you going?
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from what source? whence?.
Where did you get such a notion?
conjunction
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in or at what place, part, point, etc..
Find where he is. Find where the trouble is.
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in or at the place, part, point, etc., in or at which.
The book is where you left it.
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in a position, case, etc., in which.
Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.
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in any place, position, case, etc., in which; wherever.
Use the ointment where pain is felt.
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to what or whatever place; to the place or any place to which.
I will go where you go.
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in or at which place; and there.
They came to the town, where they lodged for the night.
pronoun
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what place?.
Where did you come from?
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the place in which; point at which.
This is where the boat docks. That was where the phone rang.
noun
idioms
adverb
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in, at, or to what place, point, or position?
where are you going?
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( used in indirect questions )
I don't know where they are
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in, at, or to which (place)
the hotel where we spent our honeymoon
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(subordinating) in the place at which
where we live it's always raining
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Titles like The Sims, where characters can have same-sex relationships, are often regarded as a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
That’s what happened to 16 Americans who were aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius in April, where a hantavirus outbreak has so far resulted in 11 reported cases and three deaths.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
He added: "It's getting to the stage now where it could become a safety issue because of people swerving potholes."
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The college where I serve as a trustee hasn’t accepted federal student aid since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Grove City College v.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
She walks toward the front of the building, where coordinating green picnic tables sit beneath a canopy, with vehicles parked on either side.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
