Browse all

come about

B1 neutral intransitive
In simple words

How something happened or started to exist.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic neutral

To happen or develop; to occur as a result of events or circumstances.

"How did such a dramatic change in government policy come about so quickly?"

"How did it come about that the most egalitarian of philosophies produced the most oppressive of regimes?"

— Isaiah Berlin, 'Two Concepts of Liberty', 1958
Grammar: inseparable
2 C1 neutral

(Nautical) For a sailing vessel to turn so that the wind comes from the opposite side.

"The skipper called out 'coming about!' as the boat swung into the wind."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Often used in questions: 'How did this come about?' Implies that the situation is the result of a process, not just a random event. Also a nautical term for a sailing vessel turning to face a different direction. The nautical sense is technical and rarely encountered outside sailing.

Commonly used with

change decision situation agreement transformation shift

Forms

Base
come about
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes about
he/she/it
Past simple
came about
yesterday
Past participle
come about
have + pp
-ing form
coming about
continuous

Understand "come about" better

Try:

Real video examples

Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.

Want to master this phrasal verb?

Practice "come about" on Looplines