Bring about meaning
Bring about means to make something happen, usually a change.
bring something about
bring about · brought · bringing
The new manager brought about some big changes.
Bring about meanings and examples
One meaning, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Make something happen, usually a change
bring something about
- The new manager brought about some big changes.
- Prices fell fast, and nobody knows what brought it about.
- Social media alone can’t bring about real change.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use bring about in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is bring about separable?
Bring about is separable, but the object nearly always comes after about: bring about a change. With a pronoun, put it in the middle: bring it about.
Bring about is more formal than cause and is used for changes and results, not for small actions: The storm brought about power cuts.
Verb tenses for bring about
| Present | I bring about · she brings about |
|---|---|
| Past | brought about |
| Present perfect | have brought about |
| -ing form | bringing about |
Common mistakes with bring about
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The new law brought about to many problems.
Right: The new law brought about many problems.
No to after bring about; the result comes straight after it.
Wrong: The rain brought about that we stayed home.
Right: The rain meant that we stayed home.
Bring about needs a noun, not a that clause.
Wrong: Can you bring about the chairs from the garden?
Right: Can you bring in the chairs from the garden?
Bring about means cause; to move things, use bring in.
Synonyms and opposites of bring about
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- causethe everyday word, often for bad results
- lead tobe the reason for a later result; the subject is not a person
- result inhave something as a result, very similar in meaning
Opposite
- preventstop something from happening
- result frombe caused by something
Bring about quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The internet ___ huge changes in the way we shop.
Bring about means cause something to happen.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The result comes straight after bring about, without to.
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3Which sentence is the most formal way to say this?
Bring about sounds more formal than cause or mess up.
More phrasal verbs with bring
All phrasal verbs with bring, by level, with an exercise
7 phrasal verbs start with bring. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- bring backB1return with something, or take something back to where it was
- bring upB2start talking about a subject
- bring inB2start using a new law, rule or system
- bring downB2make something lower, like prices, costs or a temperature
- bring outB2make a new product, book or album available to buy
- bring togetherB2make people meet, work together or feel closer
Bring about FAQ
Questions people ask about bring about.
Is bring about formal?
It is a bit formal. It is common in news, reports and essays. In conversation, people often say cause or lead to.
What is the difference between bring about and lead to?
A person or event can bring about a change on purpose. Lead to is for a result that follows later: Poor sleep can lead to stress.
What does bring about change mean?
It means make things different, often in society or at work: Young voters can bring about change.
Use bring about in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.