Definitions for While
ʰwaɪl, waɪlWhile

Princeton's WordNet(3.80 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. while, piece, spell, patch(noun)

   a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

   "he was here for a little while"; "I need to rest for a piece"; "a spell of good weather"; "a patch of bad weather"

Wiktionary(4.33 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

1. while(Noun)

   A certain duration of time, a period of time.

   He lectured for quite a long while.

   Etymology: hwil. Cognate with wil.

2. while(Verb)

   To pass (time) idly.

   Etymology: hwil. Cognate with wil.

3. while(Conjunction)

   During the same time that.

   He was sleeping while I was singing.

   Etymology: hwil. Cognate with wil.

4. while(Conjunction)

   although

   This case, while interesting, is a bit frustrating.

   Etymology: hwil. Cognate with wil.

5. while(Conjunction)

   until

   Etymology: hwil. Cognate with wil.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. While(noun)

   space of time, or continued duration, esp. when short; a time; as, one while we thought him innocent

   Etymology: [AS. hwl; akin to OS. hwl, hwla, OFries. hwle, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wla, hwla, hwl, Icel. hvla a bed, hvld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. the proper time of season. 20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.]

2. While(noun)

   that which requires time; labor; pains

   Etymology: [AS. hwl; akin to OS. hwl, hwla, OFries. hwle, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wla, hwla, hwl, Icel. hvla a bed, hvld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. the proper time of season. 20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.]

3. While(verb)

   to cause to pass away pleasantly or without irksomeness or disgust; to spend or pass; -- usually followed by away

   Etymology: [AS. hwl; akin to OS. hwl, hwla, OFries. hwle, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wla, hwla, hwl, Icel. hvla a bed, hvld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. the proper time of season. 20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.]

4. While(verb)

   to loiter

   Etymology: [AS. hwl; akin to OS. hwl, hwla, OFries. hwle, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wla, hwla, hwl, Icel. hvla a bed, hvld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. the proper time of season. 20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.]

5. While

   during the time that; as long as; whilst; at the same time that; as, while I write, you sleep

   Etymology: [AS. hwl; akin to OS. hwl, hwla, OFries. hwle, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wla, hwla, hwl, Icel. hvla a bed, hvld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. the proper time of season. 20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.]

6. While

   hence, under which circumstances; in which case; though; whereas

   Etymology: [AS. hwl; akin to OS. hwl, hwla, OFries. hwle, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wla, hwla, hwl, Icel. hvla a bed, hvld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. the proper time of season. 20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.]

7. While

   until; till

   Etymology: [AS. hwl; akin to OS. hwl, hwla, OFries. hwle, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wla, hwla, hwl, Icel. hvla a bed, hvld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. the proper time of season. 20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.]

Freebase(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. While

   "While" is a word in the English language that functions both as a noun and as a subordinating conjunction. Its meaning varies largely based on its intended function, position in the phrase and even the writer or speaker's regional dialect. As a conjunction, it is synonymous with the word "whilst", a form often considered archaic in American and Canadian English, as well as in some style guides on both sides of the Atlantic.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. While

   hwīl, n. a space of time: trouble spent.—adv. during the time that: at the same time that, as long as.—v.t. to cause to pass without irksomeness (with away).—conjs. While, Whilst, as long as: at the same time that: (Shak.) until; Whiles (B.), while, at the same time that.—adv. (Scot.) at times (orig. gen. of A.S. hwíl).—advs. Whī′lom, Whī′lome (Milt.), formerly, once (orig. dat. pl. of A.S. hwíl, time).—Every once in a while, now and then; The while (Shak.), in the meantime; The whilst (Shak.), while: in the meantime; Worth while, worth the trouble and time taken. [A.S. hwíl; Goth. hweila, Ger. weile.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. while

   A period of known time.

   While at the shop we saw some new cheese we thought we'd try.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 19, 2020  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'While' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #149

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'While' in Written Corpus Frequency: #554

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'While' in Nouns Frequency: #744

How to pronounce While?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say While in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of While in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of While in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of While in a Sentence

1. Kamala Harris:

   He just does not have the ability to really have a sense of empathy for people who are enduring hardship and enduring pain, the fact that, as you said, he is playing golf while this is happening is not surprising. It's not surprising, but it certainly is not reflective of the leadership that a president should provide in these moments of great tragedy.

2. Geraldo Cadava:

   Democrats have consistently tried to defend DACA recipients, whereas President Donald Trump has flip-flopped on numerous occasions, sometimes he says he supports them, while other times, when justifying his desire to rescind, he says they're' far from angels,' and some are' hardened criminals.'.

3. Phillip Gregory:

   If you look at some of Obama’s speeches, like when he offered praise for the oil and gas industry in 2012 while speaking in Oklahoma, it is clear they are both on the same side, the administration has done an inadequate job in getting where we need to be [in protecting the environment] and contesting this case is just another example of how [Obama] is supporting the fossil fuel industry.

4. Fatih Birol:

   The industry appears on track to achieve positive free cash flow for the first time ever this year, turning into a more mature and financially solid industry while production is growing at its fastest pace ever.

5. Erin Haney:

   Coming home, I have my backpack. [ My kids ] have their backpack, they're studying, I'm studying. And them seeing that I have this filming career and I'm having makeup samples tested all over my arm while I'm trying to read my flashcards, I hope that they get inspired to know that they can put in the hard work.

Images & Illustrations of While

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