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where

[hwair, wair]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

in or at what place?.
Where is he? Where do you live?
in what position or circumstances?.
Where do you stand on this question? Without money, where are you?
in what particular respect, way, etc.?.
Where does this affect us?
to what place, point, or end? whither?.
Where are you going?
from what source? whence?.
Where did you get such a notion?

conjunction

in or at what place, part, point, etc..
Find where he is. Find where the trouble is.
in or at the place, part, point, etc., in or at which.
The book is where you left it.
in a position, case, etc., in which.
Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.
in any place, position, case, etc., in which; wherever.
Use the ointment where pain is felt.
to what or whatever place; to the place or any place to which.
I will go where you go.
in or at which place; and there.
They came to the town, where they lodged for the night.

pronoun

what place?.
Where did you come from?
the place in which; point at which.
This is where the boat docks. That was where the phone rang.

noun

a place; that place in which something is located or occurs.
the wheres and hows of job hunting.

where

/ ��ɛə /

adverb

1. in, at, or to what place, point, or position?
  where are you going?
2. ( used in indirect questions )
  I don't know where they are
in, at, or to which (place)
the hotel where we spent our honeymoon
(subordinating) in the place at which
where we live it's always raining

noun

(usually plural) a question as to the position, direction, or destination of something

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Usage

Where … at ( Where was he at? ) and where … to ( Where is this leading to? ) are often criticized as redundant because neither at nor to adds anything to the meaning of where, and sentences like the preceding ones are perfectly clear and standard without the final at or to. This criticism does not apply to where … from, which is fully standard: Where does the money come from? The constructions where … at and where … to occur in the speech of educated people but are rare in formal speech and edited writing.

It was formerly considered incorrect to use where as a substitute for in which after a noun which did not refer to a place or position, but this use has now become acceptable: we now have a situation where/in which no further action is needed

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Word History and Origins

Origin of where¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English quher, wher, Old English ��ǣ��; cognate with Dutch waar, Old High German ��; akin to Old Norse hvar, Gothic hwar

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Word History and Origins

Origin of where¹

Old English hwǣr, hwār ( a ); related to Old Frisian ��ŧ��, Old Saxon, Old High German ��, Old Norse, Gothic hvar

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

where it's at, where the most exciting, prestigious, or profitable activity or circumstance is to be found.

In addition to the idioms beginning with where, also see close to home (hit where one lives); fools rush in where angels fear to tread; give credit (where credit is due); know where one stands; let the chips fall where they may; not know where to turn; put one's money where one's mouth is; take up where one left off; tell someone where to get off; this is where I came in.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"There are times where you put on a brave face, you smile, you give the care that's right and when you leave the patient's home you go and talk to your colleagues or maybe shed a few tears," she says.

From

"Even if I've dealt with four deaths in a day, I've been able to have a family say that it was great, that mum, dad, sister was at home where they wanted to be."

From

"But the precise nature of those challenges will not be apparent until there is clarity on where assisted dying would sit in the health and social care system, and the role hospices might be expected to play."

From

When she eventually opened her eyes, she had no memory of what had happened, or where she was.

From

“He’s pain-free. When we start that build-up, it should be soon. He’s already moving around. We all feel encouraged where he’s at right now, as far as the pain.”

From

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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