About

/əˈbaʊt/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A concern or topic of discussion.

The main about was the upcoming elections.

preposition

On the subject of; concerning.

We had a discussion about the importance of education.

In the vicinity of; near.

The park is about three blocks away from my house.

Around; in a circular direction.

They walked about the city for hours.

adverb

Approximately; nearly.

The project will take about a week to complete.

In a general way; essentially.

You have to know about the risks before you start.

Middle English: from Old English 'abūtan', meaning 'on the outside' or 'in the vicinity of'.

in and about

In various places or conditions.

about time

An expression indicating that something should have happened earlier.

what's it about

Asking for the subject or meaning of something.

up and about

Recovered and active, especially after an illness.

around

Located on all sides of something; in the vicinity.

regarding

In relation to; concerning.

About to

I'm about to hit the road.

About that life

He's all about that hustle.