where


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

where

 (wâr, hwâr)
adv.
1. At or in what place: Where is the elevator?
2. In what situation or position: Where would we be without your help?
3. From what place or source: Where did you get this idea?
4. To what situation; toward what end: Where is this argument leading?
conj.
1.
a. At, to, or in a place in which: He lives where the climate is mild. We should go where it is quieter.
b. At, to, or in a situation in which: I want to know where you expect the project to be in six months.
2.
a. At, to, or in any place in which; wherever: Sit where you like.
b. At, to, or in any situation in which; wherever: Keeping dangerous substances out of reach is important where children are concerned.
3. Whereas: That model has an attractive design, where this one is more dependable.
4. Usage Problem That: I read where they're closing down the paper mill.
pron.
1.
a. At, to, or in a place in which: She moved to a city where jobs were more plentiful.
b. What place, source, or cause: Where are you from?
c. The place or situation at, in, or to which: We're already three miles from where we left.
2. Usage Problem In which: Show me an example where increasing supply has actually increased demand.
n.
The place or occasion: We know the when but not the where of it.

[Middle English, from Old English hwǣr; see kwo- in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: When where is used to refer to a point of origin, the preposition from is required: Where did she come from? From where I sit, the situation looks bleak. When it is used to refer to a destination, the preposition to is generally superfluous: Where is she going (rather than Where is she going to)? The place where they are going is beautiful. When it is used to refer to the location of a person, event, or structure, the use of at is widely regarded as regional or colloquial: Where is the station (not Where is the station at)? · Where is also used to mean "in which" as in Show me an example where government intervention in the market has worked. The Usage Panel has mixed feelings about this. In our 2001 survey, 60 percent accepted the example just given, but only 44 percent accepted Sometimes the discussion degenerates into a situation where each person accuses the other of being illogical. These usages probably derive from the positional use of where in sentences like He went to the house where the money was kept and We hid the present in the closet where we hang our coats. These positional usages are standard, but in all of these instances, where can be safely and clearly replaced by in which. · Where is also used in instances where that might normally be expected, as in I don't see where they had much choice but to give up. The Usage Panel has less fondness for this usage. Only 30 percent of the Panel accepted this sentence in our 2001 survey. See Usage Note at why.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

where

(wɛə)
adv
1.
a. in, at, or to what place, point, or position?: where are you going?.
b. (used in indirect questions): I don't know where they are.
2. in, at, or to which (place): the hotel where we spent our honeymoon.
3. (subordinating) in the place at which: where we live it's always raining.
n
(usually plural) a question as to the position, direction, or destination of something
[Old English hwǣr, hwār(a); related to Old Frisian hwēr, Old Saxon, Old High German hwār, Old Norse, Gothic hvar]
Usage: 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
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

where

(ʰwɛər, wɛər)

adv.
1. in or at what place?: Where is he? Where do you live?
2. in what position or circumstances?: Where do you stand on this question? Without money, where are you?
3. in what particular respect, way, etc.?: Where does this affect us?
4. to what place, point, or end? whither?: Where are you going?
5. from what source? whence?: Where did you get such a notion?
conj.
6. in or at what place, part, point, etc.: Find where the trouble is.
7. in or at the place, part, point, etc., in or at which: The cup is where you left it.
8. in a position, case, etc., in which: Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.
9. in any place, position, case, etc., in which; wherever: Use the ointment where pain is felt.
10. to what or whatever place; to the place or any place to which: I will go where you go.
11. in or at which place; and there: They came to the town, where they lodged for the night.
12. Informal. that: I see where highway 49 is to be closed.
pron.
13. what place?: Where did you come from?
14. the place in which; point at which: This is where the boat docks. That was where the phone rang.
n.
15. a place; that place in which something is located or occurs: the wheres and hows of job hunting.
Idioms:
where it's at, where the most exciting, prestigious, or profitable activity or circumstance is to be found.
[before 900; Middle English quher, wher, Old English hwǣr, c. Old Frisian hwēr, Old Saxon, Old High German hwār; akin to Old Norse hvar, Gothic hwar]
usage: The constructions whereat (Where was he at?) and whereto (Where is this leading to?) are often criticized on the grounds that neither at nor to adds anything to the meaning of where, and that sentences like those above are perfectly clear without the final at or to. Both constructions occur in the speech of educated people but are rare in formal speech and edited writing.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

where

1. used in questions

You use where to ask questions about place or position.

Where's Dad?
Where does she live?

You also use where to ask about the place that someone or something is coming from or going to.

Where are you going?
Where does all this anger come from?
2. used in place clauses

You use where in place clauses when you are talking about the place or position in which someone or something is.

He said he was happy where he was.
He dropped the ball and left it where it lay.

A place clause usually goes after the main clause. However, in stories, the place clause can be put first.

Where the house had once stood, there was an empty space.
Where the sun touched the water it shone like gold.
3. used in reported clauses

Where is often used in reported clauses.

I think I know where we are.
I asked someone where the nearest hotel was.
4. used in relative clauses

Where is often used in non-defining relative clauses.

He comes from Canterbury, where the famous cathedral is.
She went into the art room, where the brushes and paint had been set out.

Where can also be used in defining relative clauses after place or after a word such as room or street.

Will you show me the place where you work?
The room where I did my homework was too noisy.

Where can also be used in defining clauses after words such as situation and stage.

We have a situation where people feel afraid of going out.
I've reached the point where I'm ready to retire.
5. used with 'possible' and 'necessary'

Where is sometimes used in front of adjectives such as possible and necessary. When it is used like this, it has a similar meaning to 'when' or 'whenever'.

Where possible, friends will be put in the same class.
Help must be given where necessary.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
Translations
أَيْنَأين، إلى أيْناينحَيْثُحيْثُ، حيثُما
kamkde
hvor
kie
missä
कहाँजहाँ
gdje
aholahovaholmerre?
hvert, hvar, hvaîanòar semsama hver/hvaî/hvar
・・・する所にどこに
...하는 곳에어디에
ubi
buvimo vietakurkur tikkurgio tuo tarpu
kur
unde
kde
kjekam
därvarvartdit
ในที่ซึ่งที่ไหน
neredenereyediği yer e
جہاںکہاں
ở đâuở nơi mà

where

[wɛəʳ]
A. ADVERB
1. (in direct and indirect questions, reported speech)
Where in direct questions as well as after report verbs and expressions of (un)certainty and doubt (e.g. no sé) usually translates as dónde (with an accent), sometimes preceded by a preposition:
dónde
where am I?¿dónde estoy?
where are you going (to)?¿a dónde or adónde vas?, ¿dónde vas?
where have you come from?¿de dónde has venido?
where can I have put my keys (down)?¿dónde or en dónde puedo haber puesto las llaves?
where should we be if ...?¿a dónde or adónde habríamos ido a parar si ...?
where did we go wrong?¿en qué nos equivocamos?
can you tell me where there's a chemist's?¿puede decirme dónde hay una farmacia?
I don't know where she livesno sé dónde vive
2. (in other statements)
2.1. (= the place that)
Where in other statements is usually translated as donde (without an accent), again often preceded by a preposition:
donde
there's a telephone box near where I livehay una cabina cerca de donde vivo
this is where we found itaquí es donde lo encontramos
that's where we got to in the last lessonhasta aquí llegamos en la última clase
that's just where you're wrong!¡en eso te equivocas!¡ahí es donde te equivocas!
that's where I disagree with youen eso no estoy de acuerdo contigo, ahí es donde no estoy de acuerdo contigo
where this book is dangerous is in suggesting thatel aspecto peligroso de este libro es la sugerencia de que ...
2.2. (after noun) → donde
this is the hotel where we stayedéste es el hotel donde or en el que estuvimos
the beach where we picnickedla playa donde or a la que or adonde fuimos de picnic
we went to visit the house where Diego was bornfuimos a visitar la casa (en) donde nació Diego
B. CONJUNCTION
1. (= if) where husband and wife both work, benefits areen el caso de que los dos esposos trabajen, los beneficios son ...
where possibleen lo posible
2. (= whereas) → mientras que, cuando
sometimes a teacher will be listened to where a parent might nota veces a un maestro se le hace caso, mientras que or cuando a un padre tal vez no
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

where

hwɛər]
adv (in questions)
Where do you live? → Où habites-tu?
Where are you going? → Où vas-tu?
Where's Emma today? → est Emma aujourd'hui?
Where are you from? → D'où venez vous?
where will it all end? → où cela finira-t-il?
conj
(referring to place)
a shop where you can buy croissants → un magasin où l'on peut acheter des croissants
I think I know where we are → Je crois savoir où nous sommes.
Stay where you are → Restez où vous êtes.
People looked to see where the noise was coming from → Les gens regardaient d'où venaient le bruit.
this is where ... → c'est ici que ...
(referring to time, stage, situation)
I didn't know where to start → Je ne savais pas où commencer., Je ne savais pas par où commencer.
This is where you come in
BUT C'est ici que tu entres en jeu.
that's where you're wrong! → c'est là que vous avez tort!
(= whereas) → là où
where possible → si possible
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

where

advwo; where (to)wohin, wo … hin; where … fromwoher, wo … her; where are you going (to)?wohin gehst du?, wo gehst du hin?; where to, sir?wohin (wollen Sie) bitte?; where are you from?woher kommen Sie?, wo kommen Sie her?; from where I’m sitting I can see the churchvon meinem Platz aus kann ich die Kirche sehen; where should we be if …?was wäre nur, wenn …?
conjwo; (= in the place where)da, wo …, an der Stelle, wo …; go where you likegeh, wohin du willst, geh hin, wo du willst; the bag is where you left itdie Tasche ist an der Stelle or da, wo du sie liegen gelassen hast; this is where we got outhier sind wir ausgestiegen; that’s where I used to livehier or da habe ich (früher) gewohnt; that’s where we differin diesem Punkt haben wir unterschiedliche Ansichten; we carried on from where we left offwir haben da weitergemacht, wo wir vorher aufgehört haben; I’ve read up to where the king …ich habe bis dahin or bis an die Stelle gelesen, wo der König; this is where we got tosoweit or bis hierhin or bis dahin sind wir gekommen; we succeeded where we expected to failwir hatten da Erfolg, wo wir ihn nicht erwartet hatten; you can trust him where money is concernedin Geldsachen können Sie ihm trauen, Sie können ihm trauen, wo es ums Geld geht; that’s whereda; that’s where his strong point isda liegt seine Stärke
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

where

[wɛəʳ]
1. advdove
where are you from? → di dove sei?
where am I? → dove sono?
where are you going (to)? → dove stai andando?
where have you come from? → da dove sei venuto?
did he tell you where he was going? → ti ha detto dove andava?
where should we be if ...? → dove saremmo se...?
2. conj
a. (gen) → dove
there's a cinema where the butcher's used to be → dove una volta c'era la macelleria ora c'è un cinema
where possible → quando è possibile, se possibile
from where I'm standing it looks fine → da dove sono, mi sembra vada bene
so that's where they've got to! → ecco dove erano finiti!
this is where we found it → è qui che l'abbiamo trovato
that's where we got to in the last lesson → è qui che siamo arrivati nell'ultima lezione
that's just where you're wrong! → è proprio lì che ti sbagli!
sometimes a teacher will be listened to, where a parent might not → qualche volta si è più disposti ad ascoltare un insegnante che un genitore
b. (rel, in, on, at which) → dove, in (or da, su ) cui
the town where we come from → la città da cui veniamo
the house where I was born → la casa in cui sono nato
the hill where the heather grows → la collina dove or su cui cresce l'erica
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

where

(weə) adverb
(to or in) which place (?). Where are you going (to)?; Do you know where we are?; Where does he get his ideas from?; We asked where to find a good restaurant.
relative pronoun
((to or in) the place) to or in which. It's nice going on holiday to a place where you've been before; This is the town where I was born; It's still where it was; I can't see him from where I am.
ˌwhereaˈbouts adverb
near or in what place(?). Whereabouts is it?; I don't know whereabouts it is.
ˈwhereabouts noun singular or plural
the place where a person or thing is. I don't know his whereabouts.
whereˈas conjunction
when in fact; but on the other hand. He thought I was lying, whereas I was telling the truth.
whereˈby relative pronoun
by which.
ˌwhereuˈpon conjunction
at or after which time, event etc. He insulted her, whereupon she slapped him.
wherˈever relative pronoun
1. no matter where. I'll follow you wherever you may go; Wherever he is he will be thinking of you.
2. (to or in) any place that. Go wherever he tells you to go.
adverb
(also where ever) used in questions or exclamations to express surprise etc. Wherever did she get that hat?
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

where

أَيْنَ, حَيْثُ kam, kde hvor wo όπου, πού donde, dónde missä gdje dove ・・・する所に, どこに ...하는 곳에, 어디에 waar der gdzie onde где där, var ในที่ซึ่ง, ที่ไหน nerede ở đâu, ở nơi mà 什么地方, 在...地方
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009