adv
thereabouts
theh-uh-ruh-BOWTS
Thereabouts (adv) means Near that place, time, or amount; approximately. Example: “The meeting is at 3pm, or thereabouts.”
adv
1
Near that place, time, or amount; approximately.
"Quite a few minutes would be spun out, for instance, at the smallish town of Chirk, but to me the dalliance was generally worthwhile, except in wet weather, because of the increasing beauty of the wooded hill scenery thereabouts."
— R. S. McNaught, From the Severn to the Mersey by Great Western (1955)
"Dans added: “We talk about outer space and trips to Mars and then when you realise Nuuk is a three-hour flight from New York City, or thereabouts, it gets interesting.”"
— Miranda Bryant, ‘It’s very unpredictable’: divided Greenland prepares to vote amid Trump-inspired existential crisis (2025)
"The meeting is at 3pm, or thereabouts."
"He lives in Manchester, or somewhere thereabouts."
How to use thereabouts
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsed to mean "roughly that" — an approximate place, time or number.
Common pairings
or thereabouts
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The meeting is at 3pm, or _____.
Etymology
From Middle English there-aboutes, built from there plus about plus an old adverb-forming -s ending.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for thereabouts
See all rhymes for thereabouts →Frequently asked questions
What does “thereabouts” mean?
The word “thereabouts” means near that place, time, or amount; approximately. In plain terms, used to mean "roughly that" — an approximate place, time or number.
How do you pronounce “thereabouts”?
“Thereabouts” is pronounced theh-uh-ruh-BOWTS (/ˈðɛɹəˌbaʊts/ in IPA).
How do you use “thereabouts” in a sentence?
Here is “thereabouts” used in a sentence: “The meeting is at 3pm, or thereabouts.”
What part of speech is “thereabouts”?
“Thereabouts” is an adverb.
Where does the word “thereabouts” come from?
The word “thereabouts” comes from Middle English. From Middle English there-aboutes, built from there plus about plus an old adverb-forming -s ending.
