# The `whatis` command The `whatis` command is used to display one-line manual page descriptions for commands. It can be used to get a basic understanding of what a (unknown) command is used for. ### Examples of uses: 1. To display what `ls` is used for: ``` whatis ls ``` 2. To display the use of all commands which start with `make`, execute the following: ``` whatis -w make* ``` ### Syntax: ``` whatis [-OPTION] [KEYWORD] ``` ### Additional Flags and their Functionalities: |**Short Flag** |**Long Flag** |**Description** | |:---|:---|:---| |`-d`|`--debug`|Show debugging messages| |`-r`|`--regex`|Interpret each keyword as a regex| |`-w`|`--wildcard`|The keyword(s) contain wildcards|