while

[ wahyl, hwahyl ]

noun

1. a period or interval of time:

   to wait a long while;

   He arrived a short while ago.

2. Archaic. a particular time or occasion.

conjunction

1. during or in the time that.
2. throughout the time that; as long as.
3. even though; although:

   While she appreciated the honor, she could not accept the position.

4. at the same time that (showing an analogous or corresponding action):

   The floor was strewn with books, while magazines covered the tables.

preposition

1. Archaic. until.

verb (used with object)

, whiled, whil·ing.

1. to cause (time) to pass, especially in some easy or pleasant manner (usually followed by away ).

while

/ waɪl /

conjunction

1. subordinating at the same time that

   please light the fire while I'm cooking

2. subordinating all the time that

   I stay inside while it's raining

3. subordinating in spite of the fact that

   while I agree about his brilliance I still think he's rude

4. coordinating whereas; and in contrast

   flats are expensive, while houses are cheap

5. subordinating; used with a gerund during the activity of

   while walking I often whistle

preposition

1. dialect.
   another word for until

   you'll never make any progress while you listen to me

   you'll have to wait while Monday for these sheets

noun

1. usually used in adverbial phrases a period or interval of time

   once in a long while

2. trouble or time (esp in the phrase worth one's while )

   it's hardly worth your while to begin work today

3. the while
   at that time

   he was working the while

Usage

It was formerly considered incorrect to use while to mean in spite of the fact that or whereas , but these uses have now become acceptable

Word History and Origins

Origin of while¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hwīl; cognate with Dutch wijl, German weile, Old Norse hvīla, Gothic hweila

Word History and Origins

Origin of while¹

Old English hwīl; related to Old High German hwīla (German Weile ), Gothic hveila, Latin quiēs peace, tranquīlus tranquil

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. worth one's while, worth one's time, trouble, or expense:

   The art exhibition that opened yesterday isn't worth your while.

2. all the while. all the while ( def ).

More idioms and phrases containing while

• all the time (while)
• a while back
• every now and then (once in a while)
• fiddle while Rome burns
• get out while the getting is good
• in a while
• make hay while the sun shines
• once in a while
• quit while you're ahead
• strike while the iron's hot
• worth one's while

Example Sentences

While Trump had long been expected to pick an "outsider" for the role of national intelligence director, some elected officials were still caught off-guard by the selection of someone who has no formal intelligence experience.

From Salon

So now imagine you could do that same thought experiment, but not just doing it at random, doing it at a large scale while having some metric of screening for those who actually had both the greatest competence as well as the greatest commitment and knowledge of the Constitution.

From Slate

This makes sense for Musk, who wanted to retain control of his myriad companies while simultaneously providing input on all the regulators that contract with and ensure legal compliance from SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink.

From Slate

One of Streeting’s team told me: “Wes has approached this issue in a genuine, thoughtful and considerate way, setting out his own view while respecting others’ views.”

From BBC

The UK must "rebuild relations" with the EU "while respecting the decision of the British people" who voted to leave in 2016, the Bank of England's governor will say later.

From BBC

Related Words

• bit
• moment
• period
• time