whereabouts
whereabouts Lexical Profile
whereabouts Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The place or general locality where a person or thing is.
"The authorities are still investigating the current whereabouts of the missing painting."
• adverb
In, at, or near what place or location (used in direct or indirect questions).
"Whereabouts in the city did you grow up?"
• conjunction
Near or in what place or location.
"He still had no idea whereabouts the hidden cabin was situated."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although ending in '-s', the noun 'whereabouts' can take either a singular or plural verb (e.g., 'his whereabouts is/are unknown'), with the plural verb being slightly more common in contemporary usage.
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Late Middle English as a compound of 'where' and 'about', with the adverbial genitive suffix '-s' added later; its nominal use referring to a person's location emerged in the 19th century.