Meaning & use
about
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Meanings
preposition
On the subject of; concerning.
Grammar: Followed by a noun or -ing form: about the weather, about moving.
Patterns
- about something
- talk about something
- a book about something
We talked about the new project for hours.
She wrote an article about climate change.
What do you know about this city?
adverb
Approximately; close to a particular number, time, or amount.
Grammar: Often used before numbers or amounts: about ten, about 3 o'clock.
Patterns
- about + number
- about + time
The movie starts about seven o'clock.
There were about fifty people at the party.
It costs about twenty dollars.
adverb
In various directions or places; here and there.
Grammar: Often used with verbs of movement: walk about, run about.
Patterns
- walk about
- move about
The children were running about in the yard.
He wandered about the old town for hours.
There were papers scattered about the room.
Common combinations
- about to
- I was about to leave when the phone rang.
- how about
- How about going to the beach this weekend?
- what about
- What about the cost? Can we afford it?
- be about to
- She is about to start her new job.
- around about
- We'll meet around about noon.
Synonyms and how they differ
- regarding
- More formal than 'about'; common in business letters and official writing.
- concerning
- Also formal; often used to introduce a topic in writing, not in casual speech.
- approximately
- More formal than 'about' when giving an estimate; 'about' is more common in everyday speech.
- around
- Very similar to 'about' for estimates, especially in American English: 'around ten people'.
Opposites
Word family
- about-face noun
- A complete change of opinion or direction.
Commonly confused: about or around?
about vs around
Both can mean 'approximately', but 'around' is more common in American English for numbers; 'about' is also fine. For movement, 'around' often suggests a circle, while 'about' suggests here and there.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'about' correctly to mean 'approximately'?
Choose one answer.
'About' meaning 'approximately' is followed directly by a number or amount: 'about two hours.' The other options add unnecessary prepositions ('to', 'of', 'for') that do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “about”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.