where
adverb
\ ˈhwer
, ˈwer, (ˌ)(h)wər\
, ˈwer, (ˌ)(h)wər\
Definition of where
(Entry 1 of 3)
where
conjunction
\ ˈhwer
, ˈwer, (ˌ)(h)wər\
, ˈwer, (ˌ)(h)wər\
Definition of where (Entry 2 of 3)
1a
: at, in, or to what place
knows where the house is
b
: at, in, or to what situation, position, direction, circumstances, or respect
shows where the plan leads
c
: the place or point at, in, or to which
couldn't see from where he was sitting kept that horse and gentled him to where I finally rode him— William Faulkner
2
: wherever
goes where she likes
3a
: at, in, or to which place
the town where she lives
b
: at or in which
has reached the size where traffic is a problem two fireplaces where you can bake bread in the ovens— Randall Jarrell
4a
: at, in, or to the place at, in, or to which
stay where you are send him away where he'll forget
b
: in a case, situation, or respect in which
outstanding where endurance is called for
5
: that
I've read where they do it that way in some Middle Eastern countries— Andy Rooney
where
noun
\ ˈhwer
, ˈwer\
, ˈwer\
Definition of where (Entry 3 of 3)
2
: what place, source, or cause
I know where that comes from
where it's at
where one is at
1a
: a place of central interest or activity
b
: something (such as a topic or field of interest) of primary concern or importance
education is where it's at
2
: the true nature of things
: one's true position, state, or nature
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Synonyms for where
Synonyms: Adverb
whereabouts (also whereabout), whither
Synonyms: Noun
emplacement, locale, locality, location, locus, place, point, position, site, spot, venue
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Examples of where in a Sentence
Adverb
Where did you meet her? Where did you hear that? Where can I find books about gardening? I don't know where that came from. Where is she taking us? Do you know where we're going? Where does the story get interesting? Where do the two candidates disagree on the issue?Conjunction
Please stay where you are. We sat down where there was some shade. He put the note where she could easily see it. He doesn't know where he is going. It doesn't matter to me where we eat. We could see the players very clearly from where we sat. I know where their house is. The town where we live is having an arts and crafts fair. This is the room where the children sleep. The store where we shop is closing.Noun
we've decided on the when, but we still haven't resolved the where for the party
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
When political parties can decide who sits where, seating becomes a tool for enforcing discipline. — The Economist, "Parliaments get facelifts; but it is politics that really needs one," 27 July 2019 Jonathan Lambert at Nature reports that two of the vents where the snails live have active mining exploration licenses on them. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Deep-Sea Snail Builds Its Own Ironclad Suit of Armor. But Even That Can’t Protect It From Ocean Mining," 26 July 2019 The federal prosecutor in charge of the case was none other than Chris Christie, which is where things really get interesting. — The Editors, Town & Country, "8 Things You Should Know About the Kushner Family," 25 July 2019 The situation coalesced to such a point where even politicians from the mainland added their voices to the public outrage, demanding Rosselló’s resignation. — Breanna Edwards, Essence, "Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló Resigns," 25 July 2019 According to the police report, officers initially searched the South Quaker Lane home, where Rodriguez lived and Gomez sometimes stayed, in February. — Emily Brindley, courant.com, "West Hartford residents arrested for meth, fentanyl, loaded firearm near children," 24 July 2019 The couple met in 2014 in New York, where Mize was living. — NBC News, "Gay couple sues over U.S. refusal to recognize child as citizen," 24 July 2019 So Zebley and his partner staked out a center where refugees got their documents stamped until Mohamed showed up, then baited him into a government building before tackling him and shipping him back to the U.S. for trial. — Tim Elfrink, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump’s latest, and unlikely, target: Aaron Zebley, FBI agent who hunted terrorists," 24 July 2019 The collection of vignettes in Ten Years includes one that imagines mandatory Mandarin language for Hong Kong residents, and a particularly poignant storyline where a Hong Kong resident self-immolates in protest. — Isabella Steger, Quartzy, "Six films to watch to understand what’s happening in Hong Kong," 24 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The next step is to get a development agreement with the orchestra that will outline the where and what. — Scott Wartman, Cincinnati.com, "The Banks concert venue: What's next," 20 June 2018 Being ankle deep in mud, on a narrow trail traversing a precipitous hillside that was sloping down who-knew-how-far-or-where, and then trying to collect a specimen hidden just out of reach behind a tangle of greenery, would fray anyone’s nerves. — The Economist, "Colombia’s national survey of its biodiversity is ambitious," 17 May 2018 Yes, that's Iron Man and Dr. Strange using their superpowers to help a young female consumer arrive safely at the home that has just been approved for a mortgage from you-know-where. — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, "Rocket Mortgage blasts off with TV ads, product placement with 'Avengers: Infinity War'," 2 Apr. 2018 The Fab Five pepper their subjects with compliments, I-know-where-you’re-coming-froms and hugs. — Bonnie Wertheim, New York Times, "Antoni Porowski Can Cook," 6 Mar. 2018 Given the academy’s loosey-goosey-where-did-the-money-go history, Mr. Colacello was wary at first. — Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, "A Celebrity Party Where Andy Warhol Would Have Fit Right In," 26 Apr. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'where.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.