adv · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ðɛəɹəˈbaʊts/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈðɛəɹəbaʊts/
General-American:/ˈðɛɹəˌbaʊts/
General-American:/ˌðɛɹəˈbaʊts/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:DH EH2 R AH0 B AW1 T S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Synonym of thereabout:
About or near that place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Synonym of thereabout:
About or around that date or time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
Synonym of thereabout:
About or near to that condition or quality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adv
Meaning 4
Synonym of thereabout:
Approximately that number or quantity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adv
Meaning 5
Synonym of thereabout:
About that; concerning that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adv
Meaning 6
Synonym of thereabout:
Near to that activity or situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Location; whereabouts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-only
Qualifier: possibly erroneous
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adverb
Meaning 8
near that place
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he stayed in London or thereabouts for several weeks
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: thereabout
Antonyms: none provided
9
adverb
Meaning 9
near that time or date
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
come at noon or thereabouts
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: thereabout
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
The adverb is derived from Middle English there-aboutes, þare aboutes (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms], from ther (“in that place, in those places, there; on that; thither, to that place; from there, thence; at that time; thereupon; in that situation, under those circumstances; in that case, with regard to that”) (from Old English þǣr (“there”)) + aboutes (“in all directions, around”, adverb), aboutes (“in all directions from, on all sides of; near; concerned with”, preposition) (from aboute, abouten (“so as to surround; so as to cover; on the border or edge; as measured around the outside; to as to travel around something; so as to revolve about an axis or centre; aside; in all directions; in the vicinity; in connection with something; in several places; everywhere, throughout; to all or everyone; almost, approximately; concerning; in succession; so as to be or happen”, adverb), aboute, abouten (“surrounding; covering; over; upon; on the border of; in all directions; in the vicinity of, near to; in several places; everywhere, throughout; almost, approximately; concerning; engaged in; on behalf of”, preposition) (from Old English abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”)) + -s (suffix forming adverbs)); see further at thereabout. The English word is analysable as thereabout + -s (suffix forming adverbs). The noun may result from a confusion of thereabouts with whereabouts. The word is attested later than thereabout.