About - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary ABOUT definition: 1. relating to a particular subject or person: 2. to or in different parts of a place, often…. Learn more. The adverb about , when used with a quantity, means approximately or roughly. If a teenager wants to have a couple of friends over, his mom might ask about how many "a couple" is — in his mind it may be about 50. (Indicates that something will happen very soon): In modern English, always followed by an infinitive that begins with to ("I am about to bathe"); see about to. In the past, it was possible to instead follow the about with the present participle ("I am about swimming"), but this format is no longer used or widely understood. (concerning): Used as a function word to indicate what is dealt with as the object of thought, feeling, or action.
