about

About is a common English word that functions primarily as a preposition and as an adverb. It has several related senses, including situational proximity, approximate quantity, and subject matter.

As a preposition, it can indicate location in the vicinity of something: “The playground is about the corner.” It can also express approximate extent: “There were about twenty people.” And it can mean concerning or related to a subject: “This article is about the history of science.”

As an adverb, about can mean approximately: “The project will take about a week.” It can also introduce topics in questions or statements: “What is that about?” It can occur in fixed verbal expressions such as “go about” (to begin or to proceed) and “go about one’s business.”

Examples: “They wandered about the town.” “The estimate is about $100.” “This book is about climate policy.” “He was about to leave when the phone rang.”

Etymology: from Old English abūtan, meaning around, and from Proto-Germanic roots; the modern senses of approximately and regarding developed over time.

Usage notes: “about” is often interchangeable with “around” in many senses, but “around” can imply movement or circularity. In formal writing, prefer more precise terms such as “approximately” or “concerning” where appropriate.