Synonyms

whilst

American

[hwahylst, wahylst] / ʰwaɪlst, waɪlst /

conjunction

Chiefly British. while.

whilst British

/ waɪlst /

conjunction

another word for while

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of whilst

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English whilest, equivalent to whiles + excrescent -t as in amongst, amidst

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Whilst much of the conduct is not illegal it tells a story of a 'double life'.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

"Whilst councils are being forced into damaging cuts, we are also expediting service transformation, which must be recognised as we begin to consider our role and expectations in public service reform," he added.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

Whilst these devices are designed for longer term space missions, the recent Artemis II mission around the moon took a specially developed exercise device called the flywheel.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

He later said that: "Whilst I think the department felt under pressure, we were proud of the fact we'd not bowed to that pressure."

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Whilst me and Ma were walking home I was ’bout to bust waiting on her to tell me how I did.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023