while

noun \ ˈhwī(-ə)l , ˈwī(-ə)l \

Definition of while

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

See while defined for English-language learners

See while defined for kids

Examples of while in a Sentence

It took them a while to find out what was causing the problem.
we stayed at the fair for a while longer

Recent Examples of while from the Web

The baby is OK to be in the amniotic sac for a little while (which is why Scurry’s son was fine during his trip to the hospital).

— korin miller, SELF, "Why This Mom Posted a Photo of Her Baby in its Amniotic Sac on Instagram," 30 Aug. 2017
Area residents looking to jump and play in the world’s biggest bounce house will have to sit down for a little while.

— noel harris, sacbee, "Sacramentans’ chance to jump in biggest bounce house is grounded – for now," 27 Aug. 2017
Last year, when his father was sent to prison for a while, Craig was left alone to care for his younger brother.

— author: sabrina tavernise, Alaska Dispatch News, "At an Arkansas mosque, a vandal spreads hate and finds mercy," 26 Aug. 2017
Fantasy blackjack The standalone version of Gwent has been pseudo-accessible for a while now, spiraling through a couple of alpha and beta periods.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: KFC's creepy VR training, Anno 1800 revealed, Brink goes free-to-play," 25 Aug. 2017
The eggplant is taking a while, and lavender doesn’t grow very well on this island.

— rebecca ramsey, The Cut, "The 43-Day Fashion Shoot," 20 Aug. 2017
Usually there was friendly give-and-take between the officers and the concertgoers, but once in a while officers would question someone who seemed to be underage, search a backpack and find a stash of beer.

— david owens, Courant Community, "Xfinity Concert Crowd Subdued Amid Police Presence, Rain," 19 Aug. 2017
But on Tuesday, Trump did a double-reverse, seemingly sympathizing with neo-Nazis while simultaneously condemning the left.

— emily jane fox, The Hive, "The Myth of Jared and Ivanka Meets Charlottesville," 16 Aug. 2017
If for some reason my husband wasn’t able to work, that would be OK for a little while.

— melissa chan, Time, "How the Kindness of Strangers Became a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry," 12 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'while.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of while

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

while Synonyms

Synonyms

bit, space, spell, stretch

Related Words

lapse; season, span; day, epoch, era; beat, eyeblink, flash, heartbeat, instant, jiff, jiffy, minute, moment, nanosecond, New York minute, second, shake, split second, spurt, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink; aeon (or eon), age, eternity, infinity, perpetuity; interim, interlude, intermission, interval

Near Antonyms

adroitness, ease, facility, fluency, smoothness; dormancy, idleness, inaction, inactivity, indolence, inertia, languor, laziness, quiescence

while

conjunction

Definition of while

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

See while defined for English-language learners

Examples of while in a Sentence

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.

First Known Use of while

12th century

while Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

but, if

Near Antonyms

after

while

preposition

Definition of while

dialectal British

:until

First Known Use of while

15th century

while

verb

Definition of while

whiled; whiling

transitive verb

:to cause to pass especially without boredom or in a pleasant manner —usually used with away

while away the time

See while defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of while from the Web

The twin political hallmarks of the Republican Party in Wisconsin since 2010 have been party unity and the ability to do just about whatever the party wants to while in power.

— craig gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Trump's worst week: A brief shining moment, quickly shrouded in defeat and discord," 28 July 2017
Luckily, a podcast revolution is providing listeners with hours of stories, interviews and chats to while away the hours on America's highways.

— Philly.com, "Podcasts perfect for summer road trips," 16 July 2017
Luckily, a podcast revolution is providing listeners with hours of stories, interviews and chats to while away the hours on America’s highways.

— idahostatesman, "14 podcasts perfect for summer road trips," 7 July 2017
But the Cube was fundamentally a cerebral, calm pursuit, perfect for the latchkey children of the 1980s to while away their lonely, Xbox-free hours.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The New Age of Anxiety," 28 June 2017
Its raison d'etre was bon vivance; good food and good times, a place to while away lazy summer days, eat heartily and drink well.

— lianne turner and thomas page, CNN, "Inside La Colombe d'Or, modern art's home on the French Riviera," 14 June 2017
But the Cube was fundamentally a cerebral, calm pursuit, perfect for the latchkey children of the 1980s to while away their lonely, Xbox-free hours.

— alex williams, New York Times, "Prozac Nation Is Now the United States of Xanax," 10 June 2017
Here’s a look at 10 places to while away the afternoon for less than $10 (adult admission, other discounts often available).

— martina schimitschek, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Get your visual art fix: 10 San Diego museums under $10," 26 May 2017
Many leisure travelers use laptops and tablets to while away the hours watching movies or playing games, or to keep their kids entertained.

— joyce m. rosenberg, The Seattle Times, "Business, leisure travelers ponder flying without laptops," 17 May 2017

First Known Use of while

1635

WHILE Defined for English Language Learners

while

noun

Definition of while for English Language Learners

: a period of time

while

conjunction

Definition of while for English Language Learners

: during the time that
—used to make a statement that describes how two people, groups, etc., are different
: in spite of the fact that

WHILE Defined for Kids

while

conjunction \ ˈhwīl , ˈwīl \

Definition of while for Students

1 :during the time that

We met while in college.

2 :although 1

While famous, the book is seldom read.

while

noun

Definition of while for Students

1 :a period of time

Let's rest a while.

2 :time and effort used in doing something

I'll make it worth your while to help out.

while

verb

Definition of while for Students

whiled; whiling

:to cause to pass especially in a pleasant way

We whiled away the time with games.

Learn More about while

See words that rhyme with while Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for while Spanish Central: Translation of while Nglish: Translation of while for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of while for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up while? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

while

Definition of while

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of while in a Sentence

Recent Examples of while from the Web

Origin and Etymology of while

while Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

while

Definition of while

Examples of while in a Sentence

First Known Use of while

while Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

while

Definition of while

First Known Use of while

while

Definition of while

Recent Examples of while from the Web

First Known Use of while

Phrases Related to WHILE

Related Phrases

WHILE Defined for English Language Learners

while

Definition of while for English Language Learners

while

Definition of while for English Language Learners

WHILE Defined for Kids

while

Definition of while for Students

while

Definition of while for Students

while

Definition of while for Students

Learn More about while

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066