English · Daily Life

about

/əˈbaʊt/

[/əˈbaʊt/]

on the subject of; approximately

Beginnerpreposition

Definition

Used to show what something concerns, or to mean roughly or nearly a number.

Example

This book is about space.

This book is about space.

Etymology

From Old English 'onbutan', meaning 'on the outside of'.

How & Where It’s Used

Very common in speech for topics and for estimating amounts.

Watch “on the subject of; approximately” pronunciation on YouTube
prepositiontopic

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