Definitions for While
ʰwaɪl, waɪlWhile

Princeton's WordNet(3.33 / 6 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(4.43 / 7 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. Martin Binks:

   Your resting metabolic rate is typically described as the total number of calories your body needs while at rest. This is made up of basic functions like supporting your vital organs, muscle and fat tissue and the energy that is required to break down food we eat, your total calorie requirement includes these plus what's needed to move around.

2. Rob Bathurst:

   Larger cities have been preparing for a while for this election and [ are ] better than they were in the past.

3. Senator Harris in a statement:

   My mother raised my sister and me while working demanding, long hours, so, I know firsthand that, for many working parents, juggling between school schedules and work schedules is a common cause of stress and financial hardship.

4. Lindsey Graham:

   While Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, the behavior of the Crown Prince – in multiple ways – has shown disrespect for the relationship and made him, in my view, beyond toxic, i fully realize we have to deal with bad actors and imperfect situations on the international stage. However, when we lose our moral voice, we lose our strongest asset.

5. Bryan Taylor:

   I’m hopeful that she can take advantage of the resources available to her while on probation and make the appropriate changes in her life to become a better parent.

Images & Illustrations of While

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