while

1 of 4

noun

ˈ(h)wī(-ə)l 

1

: a period of time especially when short and marked by the occurrence of an action or a condition : time

stay here for a while

2

: the time and effort used (as in the performance of an action) : trouble

worth your while

while

2 of 4

conjunction

1

a

: during the time that

take a nap while I'm out

b

: as long as

while there's life there's hope

2

a

: when on the other hand : whereas

easy for an expert, while it is dangerous for a novice

b

: in spite of the fact that : although

while respected, he is not liked

3

: similarly and at the same time that

while the book will be welcomed by scholars, it will make an immediate appeal to the general reader

—British Book News

while

3 of 4

preposition

dialectal British

: until

while

4 of 4

verb

whiled; whiling

transitive verb

: to cause to pass especially without boredom or in a pleasant manner

—usually used with away

while away the time

Synonyms

Noun

• bit
• space
• spell
• stretch

Conjunction

• as
• so long as
• when
• whilst [chiefly British]

Examples of while in a Sentence

Noun

It took them a while to find out what was causing the problem.

we stayed at the fair for a while longer

Conjunction

Someone called while you were out.

You can get the photos developed while you wait.

The phone rang while I was doing the dishes.

They met while they were in college.

Can I get you anything while I'm at the store?

He made a comment that, while well-intentioned, still hurt my feelings.

While I think some parts of the plan are good, I don't think it's practical.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The singer-songwriter lived for a while in Echo Park, but spent a lot of his time downtown. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2024

Reserve center James Wiseman may be out for a while, if not the entire season, with a torn Achilles. —Tony East, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Oliver gave her a nice bacon treat to gnaw on for a while. —Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 29 Oct. 2024

Things will be fine for a while and then the whole thing starts back up again. —Lori Gottlieb, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hwīl; akin to Old High German hwīla time, Latin quies rest, quiet

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Conjunction

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Preposition

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1635, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing while

• after a while
• a (good) long while
• all the while
• every once in a while
• make it worth your while
• once in a while
• quite a while
• strike while the iron is hot
• while away
• while (one's) at it
• while the going is good
• worth someone's while

Kids Definition

while

1 of 3 noun

ˈhwī(ə)l 

ˈwī(ə)l

1

: a period of time

stay here for a while

2

: time and effort used

worth your while

while

2 of 3 conjunction

1

a

: during the time that

take a nap while I'm out

b

: as long as

enjoy life while we can

2

: in spite of the fact that : although

while respected, the mayor is not liked

while

3 of 3 verb

whiled; whiling

: to cause to pass pleasantly or without boredom

while away the time