About vs. For — What's the Difference?

Refers to concerning or related to.

Indicates the use or purpose of something.

Indicates proximity or presence.

Indicates a destination or direction.

Used for approximations.

Specifies the intended beneficiary.

In nautical terms, to change direction.

Expresses support or agreement.

Part of phrases indicating near action.

Denotes the duration of time.

On the subject of; concerning

Used to indicate the object, aim, or purpose of an action or activity

Used to indicate movement within a particular area

Used to indicate a destination

Used to express location in a particular place

Used to indicate the object of a desire, intention, or perception

Used to indicate movement within an area

Used to indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action

Used to express location in a particular place

On behalf of

(used with a number or quantity) approximately

In favor of

Approximately; nearly

In place of

Almost

Used to indicate equivalence or equality

To a reversed position or direction

Used to indicate correlation or correspondence

In no particular direction

Used to indicate amount, extent, or duration

All around; on every side

Used to indicate a specific time

In the area or vicinity; near

Used to indicate a number of attempts

In succession; one after another

As being

On the verge of doing something; presently going to do something. Used with the infinitive

Used to indicate an actual or implied listing or choosing

Usage Problem Used to show determination or intention in negative constructions with an infinitive

As a result of; because of

On all sides of; surrounding

Used to indicate appropriateness or suitability

In the vicinity of; around

Notwithstanding; despite

Almost the same as; close to; near.

As regards; concerning

In reference to; relating to; concerned with

Considering the nature or usual character of

In the act or process of

In honor of

In the possession or innate character of

Because; since.

Moving here and there; astir

Because of this; for this reason.

Being in evidence or existence

Because, as, since.

In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of.

Towards; in the direction of.

Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.

Directed at; intended to belong to.

Indicates that something will happen very soon; indicates a plan or intention to do something.

In order to help, benefit, gratify, honor etc. (someone or something).

(with 'to' and verb infinitive) See about to.

To be used or treated in a stated way, or with a stated purpose.

On the point or verge of.

Supporting, in favour of.

Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of; to affect.

Because of.

Concerned with; engaged in; intent on.

Intended to cure, remove or counteract; in order to cure, remove or counteract.

Within or in the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place.

Over (a period of time).

On one's person; nearby the person.

Throughout or across (a distance in space).

(figurative) In or near, as in mental faculties or (literally) in the possession of; under the control of; at one's command; in one's makeup.

Used to introduce a subject within a to-infinitive clause.

On all sides; around.

On behalf of.

Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down.

In the role or capacity of; instead of; in place of.

From one place or position to another in succession; indicating repeated movement or activity.

In exchange for; in correspondence or equivalence with.

Indicating unproductive or unstructured activity.

In order to obtain or acquire.

Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost.

By the standards of, usually with the implication that those standards are lower than one might otherwise expect; considering.

Near; in the vicinity.

To be, or as being.

To a reversed order; half round; facing in the opposite direction; from a contrary point of view.

(usually in the phrase 'for all') Despite, in spite of.

(nautical) To the opposite tack: see go about.

Indicating something desired or anticipated.

In succession; one after another; in the course of events.

(in expressions such as 'for a start') Introducing the first item(s) in a potential sequence.

(archaic) In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; in circumference.

In honor of; after.

Moving around; astir.

Due or facing (a certain outcome or fate).

In existence; being in evidence; apparent.

Out of; used to indicate a fraction, a ratio

Near; in the vicinity or neighbourhood.

(cricket) Used as part of a score to indicate the number of wickets that have fallen.

Around; all round; on every side of.

(obsolete) Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.

In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place; by or on (one's person).

Used in various more-or-less idiomatic ways to construe individual verbs, indicating various semantic relationships such as target, purpose, result, etc.; see also the entries for individual phrasal verbs, e.g. ask for, look for, stand for, etc.

Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.

(nonstandard) So (that), in order to

Near; not far from; - determining approximately time, size, quantity.

In the most general sense, indicating that in consideration of, in view of, or with reference to, which anything is done or takes place.

In concern with; engaged in; intent on.

Indicating the antecedent cause or occasion of an action; the motive or inducement accompanying and prompting to an act or state; the reason of anything; that on account of which a thing is or is done.

On the point or verge of; going; in act of.

Indicating the remoter and indirect object of an act; the end or final cause with reference to which anything is, acts, serves, or is done.

Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching.

Indicating that in favor of which, or in promoting which, anything is, or is done; hence, in behalf of; in favor of; on the side of; - opposed to against.

On all sides; around.

Indicating that toward which the action of anything is directed, or the point toward which motion is made; ntending to go to.

In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across.

Indicating that on place of or instead of which anything acts or serves, or that to which a substitute, an equivalent, a compensation, or the like, is offered or made; instead of, or place of.

Here and there; around; in one place and another.

Indicating that in the character of or as being which anything is regarded or treated; to be, or as being.

Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in quality, manner, degree, etc.; as, about as cold; about as high; - also of quantity, number, time.

Indicating that instead of which something else controls in the performing of an action, or that in spite of which anything is done, occurs, or is; hence, equivalent to notwithstanding, in spite of; - generally followed by all, aught, anything, etc.

To a reserved position; half round; in the opposite direction; on the opposite tack; as, to face about; to turn one's self about.

Indicating the space or time through which an action or state extends; hence, during; in or through the space or time of.

On the move;

Because; by reason that; for that; indicating, in Old English, the reason of anything.

(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct;

Since; because; introducing a reason of something before advanced, a cause, motive, explanation, justification, or the like, of an action related or a statement made. It is logically nearly equivalent to since, or because, but connects less closely, and is sometimes used as a very general introduction to something suggested by what has gone before.

All around or on all sides;

One who takes, or that which is said on, the affrimative side; that which is said in favor of some one or something; - the antithesis of against, and commonly used in connection with it.

In the area or vicinity;

To or among many different places or in no particular direction;

In or to a reversed position or direction;

In rotation or succession;

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; `near' is sometimes used informally for `nearly' and `most' is sometimes used informally for `almost';

"About" commonly refers to the subject or topic being discussed.

"For" signifies the duration that an event lasts.

"About" does not typically express support, while "for" can indicate agreement or advocacy for a cause.

Remember that "about" often relates to topics, approximate measures, or vicinity.

"For" is used to indicate the reason or purpose behind an action, such as in "tools for gardening."

Yes, "about" can indicate a general location or vicinity.

"About" is used in nautical contexts to indicate changing direction.

Yes, "for" often specifies the intended beneficiary of an action or object.

In idiomatic expressions, "about" often indicates imminent action, such as in "about to leave."

"For" can be part of phrases that denote support or opposition, depending on context.