apropos(1)
Search the manual page names and descriptions for a keyword.
Synopsis
apropos [-e|-w|-r] [-s SECTION] KEYWORD...Description
apropos searches the whatis database for manual pages matching the given keyword(s). It displays the name and one-line description of each matching page, making it useful for finding commands when you don't know the exact name.
By default, apropos performs a substring match across both command names and their descriptions. It's faster than searching man pages directly and helps discover related tools.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
-e, --exact | Match keyword exactly instead of substring matching |
-w, --wildcard | Match keyword as a wildcard pattern (shell-style wildcards) |
-r, --regex | Interpret keyword as a regular expression |
-s SECTION, --section SECTION | Search only in a specific man page section (e.g., 1, 5, 8) |
-l, --long | Don't truncate output to fit terminal width |
-a, --all | Display all matches, including duplicates from different sections |
Examples
Find all commands related to password management
apropos passwordSearch for configuration file references in section 5 of the manual
apropos -s 5 configFind exact matches for 'chmod' command only
apropos -e chmodFind commands starting with 'copy' using regex
apropos -r '^copy'Search for pages matching either 'list' or 'directory'
apropos list directoryFind all commands starting with 'mount' using wildcard pattern
apropos -w 'mount*'