around

1 of 3

adverb

1
a
: in a circle or in circumference
The wheel goes around.
a tree five feet around
b
: in, along, or through a circuit
The road goes around by the lake.
2
a
: on all or various sides : in every or any direction
papers lying around
There was nothing for miles around.
b
: in close from all sides so as to surround
People crowded around.
c
: in or near one's present place or situation
We had to wait around awhile.
3
a
: here and there : from one place to another
She travels around on business.
b
: to a particular place
You should come around for dinner.
c
used with some verbs to indicate repeated or continued action
He's always joking around when he should be serious.
Don't play around with your food.
4
a
: in rotation or succession
Another winter has come around.
b
: from beginning to end : through
The weather is mild the year around.
c
: in order
the other way around
5
: in or to an opposite direction or position
turn around
6
: with some approach to exactness : approximately
It costs around $5.

around

2 of 3

preposition

1
a
: on all sides of
a yard with a fence around it
b
: so as to encircle or enclose
seated around the table
c
: so as to avoid or get past : on or to another side of
trying to find a way around their objections
We went around the lake.
around the corner
d
: near
lives around Chicago
around the turn of the century
2
: in all directions outward from
Look around you.
3
: here and there in or throughout
They went barnstorming around the country.
4
: so as to have a center or basis in
a society organized around kinship ties

around

3 of 3

adjective

1
: about sense 1
He has been up and around for two days.
2
: being in existence, evidence, or circulation
… the most intelligent of the artists around today.R. M. Coates
Phrases
been around
: gone through many varied experiences : become worldly-wise
He knows what he's talking about; he's been around.

Examples of around in a Sentence

Adverb Don't take the long way around: I know a shortcut. He entered the room and looked around. This is a very interesting town: let me show you around. I'm not sure where it is, but it must be around somewhere. It's safer when there are other people around. I'd like to speak to him if he's around. Preposition The people were seated around the table. A crowd gathered around him. He tied the rope around his waist. We went all around the lake enjoying the different views. They sailed around the world. He's a well-known figure around the town. We drove all around the town looking for him. This is a very interesting town: let me show you around it. We took a tour around New England. You can find lots of good restaurants around here. Adjective she's generally regarded as one of the most talented singers around
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
The average processing time is around 12 to 14 months, and the application fee is $50. Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 According to officials, the women are accused of taking Layman's body out of the home and propping him up in the passenger seat of their car with the help of a third unidentified individual, and driving through a bank drive-thru to withdraw around $900. Landon Mion, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 Both the table and the chairs were lightweight enough for our tester’s young children to move around on their own, giving them confidence and independence. Samantha McIntyre, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024 Its home field advantage is considered one of the best around, which is no surprise given Sacramento’s fervor for sports. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 This time around, Mr. Trump wants the R.N.C. to be far more aggressive in training poll watchers and filing lawsuits, both before and after the November election. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Youths were traumatized too, forced to urinate in their locked rooms because no one was around to let them out. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to NBC News that officers responded to the judge’s home at around 1 p.m. due to reports of a domestic incident. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 Influenza has been around for a very long time, but there’s been little attention paid to the symptoms of the illness that linger long after the initial infection is gone, said Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, senior author of the study and a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2024
Preposition
The snapshot, taken by Prince William and featuring Middleton with her arms around her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was shared to offer gratitude for the support she’s received since her surgery and to reassure people about her ongoing recovery. Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024 What’s more, Presence imbues the song with a story centered around death, misfortune, and perhaps even malediction. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024 As the name hints, Aztec Warrior invites players into an Ancient Civilization centered around the Aztecs. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Smaller but more abundant, these are the last to appear around the state. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 Across all the deepfake platforms analyzed, around 82 percent of complaints resulted in URLs being removed from Google, the company’s copyright transparency data shows. Matt Burgess, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 At its peak, around 10.16pm, 1.1 million were watching. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Last Tuesday, Premier Li Qiang said the government had set this year’s growth target at around 5% and inflation target at 3%. Laura He, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 And while technology offers real-time insights on emerging stars in all kinds of soccer leagues around the world, Riso stressed that being physically present during games remains crucial to get a sense of the athlete’s personality traits. Daniele Proch, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Now a senior, Isbell set the school record for all-around score with a 38.5, topping the 18-year-old standard by 0.1 points, in a meet against Woburn Jan. 18. Kat Cornetta, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023 Lee scored two perfect 10s, setting the program career record for 10s in the process, and took home the all-around title at Coleman Coliseum, but the Tigers fell to the Tide, 197.850-197.700 in a head-to-head dual meet. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 3 Feb. 2023 In this corner, standing 5-foot-3 and winner of the 2022 NCAA women’s gymnastics all-around title, Florida’s Trinity Thomas. Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2023 In 1983, Dianne Durham became the first Black woman to win the U.S.A. Gymnastics senior national championship and beat Mary Lou Retton to take the all-around title at the McDonald’s International Gymnastics Championship in Los Angeles. Andrea Williams Taylor Baucom, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2022 The 17-year-old who trains at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano had been a virtual lock to lead the U.S. team in Liverpool, England, in late October after winning the two-day national championship all-around title in August. Dallas News, 5 Oct. 2022 She's poised to become the first woman to win back-to-back all-around titles in more than 50 years. Jeva Lange, The Week, 23 July 2021 On Sunday, Biles made history once again by becoming the first American woman to win seven national women’s all-around titles at the 2021 US Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, TX. Asia Ewart, refinery29.com, 8 June 2021 Biles and Mikulak have each won six all-around titles, and in the same years. USA TODAY, 4 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'around.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English arounde, a round "along the margin, on all sides," from a- a- entry 1 + round, rounde round entry 3

Preposition

Middle English, derivative of around around entry 1

Adjective

derivative of around entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Preposition

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of around was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near around

Cite this Entry

“Around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/around. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

around

1 of 2 adverb
1
: in circumference
a tree five feet around
2
: in or along a curving path
3
: on all sides
papers lying around
4
: nearby
stick around a while
5
: here and there in various places
travel around
6
: to each in turn
pass the fruit around
7
: from beginning to end
mild the year around
8
: in or to an opposite direction or position
turn around
9
: close to : approximately
costs around $20

around

2 of 2 preposition
1
a
: on all sides of
were fields around the village
b
: so as to encircle or enclose
people seated around the table
c
: on or to another side of
voyage around Cape Horn
d
: near to
lives around Chicago
2
: here and there in or throughout
travel around the country

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