About | Definition, Meaning & Part of Speech
The word about can be a preposition meaning “concerning” or that indicates a topic or subject, as well as an adverb meaning “approximately” or “nearly.”
It’s a film about aliens.
My school has about 1,000 students.
The game’s about over; I’ll be home in an hour.
About definition
About is typically a preposition meaning “on the topic or subject of” or “concerning” (e.g., “Why are songs always about love?” “I’m calling about my appointment tomorrow”). Its part of speech can also be an adverb meaning “approximately” (e.g., “The journey takes about half an hour”).
Is about a preposition?
The word about is frequently used as a preposition to indicate a topic, subject, or what something “concerns or relates to.”
Are you talking about that new horror movie?
Alex’s class is learning about dinosaurs at the moment.
I think she’s a bit worried about the exam.
The preposition “about” can also indicate a purpose or aim (e.g., “Playing sports is about much more than just winning”) or mean “around a place or space,” especially in British English (e.g., “We wandered about the old town and saw some of the sights”).
Is about an adverb?
The word about can be used as an adverb meaning “approximately,” often before a number.
I’ll pick you up at about seven o’clock.
The population of Switzerland is about 9 million.
You’re about the same height as me.
Where we stayed in Italy must be about here on the map.
“About” can also function as an adverb meaning “nearly” or “almost” (e.g., “Are we about ready to go now?” “I’m about finished; we can go in 10 minutes”).
Another of it meanings as an adverb, particularly in British English, is “around” (e.g., “We wandered about and saw some of the sights”)—but it’s a preposition if it’s introducing a prepositional phrase (“We wandered about the old town”).
About in phrasal verbs
About is a particle when it forms part of a phrasal verb.
Our band came about because a friend of mine was looking for some musicians to record some of her songs. [Phrasal verb: “Come about,” meaning “happen/come into existence”]
That’s not how you chop an onion; you’re going about it all wrong. [Phrasal verb: “Go about,” meaning “approach”]
After the teacher had written the sums on the board, the children set about solving them in absolute silence. [Phrasal verb: “set about,” meaning “start”]
Frequently asked questions about the word about
- What does about time mean?
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You say something is about time when you think that it should have already happened, but it hasn’t happened (e.g., “It’s about time they fixed this road; it’s full of potholes”).
If you say something was “about time,” you think that it should have happened much sooner than it did (e.g., “It was about time she won an Oscar; she should have won at least three by now”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you to use idiomatic phrases like “about time” correctly in your writing.
- What does roundabout mean?
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The adjective roundabout means “indirect” or “unnecessarily complicated” (e.g., “That was a very roundabout way of saying no”).
In some varieties of English, such as British English, roundabout is also a noun meaning “traffic circle” or “playground merry-go-round.”
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker? You can use it to check that you’re using the word “roundabout” correctly in your writing.
- What does up and about mean?
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You say that someone is up and about when they don’t have to stay in their bed anymore after an illness or injury (e.g., “He’s almost better; I think he’ll be up and about tomorrow”).
It is also used to mean “awake and active” in some varieties of English, such as British English (e.g., “What are you doing up and about so early? You normally sleep in on Saturdays”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you to use idiomatic expressions like “up and about” correctly in your writing.
