The place where someone or something is located; approximate location or position. Can function as both singular and plural.
From Middle English 'where' plus 'aboute' (around), literally meaning 'around where'. The '-s' ending developed in the 15th century, following the pattern of other location words like 'thereabouts', creating a word that can be both singular and plural.
Whereabouts is grammatically fascinating because it can be treated as either singular ('His whereabouts is unknown') or plural ('His whereabouts are unknown'), making it one of English's most flexible nouns. This flexibility reflects our intuitive understanding that location can be both a single concept and multiple possible positions simultaneously.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.