while
Americannoun
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a period or interval of time.
to wait a long while;
He arrived a short while ago.
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Archaic. a particular time or occasion.
conjunction
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during or in the time that.
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throughout the time that; as long as.
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even though; although.
While she appreciated the honor, she could not accept the position.
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at the same time that (showing an analogous or corresponding action).
The floor was strewn with books, while magazines covered the tables.
preposition
verb (used with object)
idioms
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worth one's while, worth one's time, trouble, or expense.
The art exhibition that opened yesterday isn't worth your while.
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all the while. see all the while.
conjunction
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(subordinating) at the same time that
please light the fire while I'm cooking
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(subordinating) all the time that
I stay inside while it's raining
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(subordinating) in spite of the fact that
while I agree about his brilliance I still think he's rude
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(coordinating) whereas; and in contrast
flats are expensive, while houses are cheap
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(subordinating; used with a gerund) during the activity of
while walking I often whistle
preposition
noun
-
(usually used in adverbial phrases) a period or interval of time
once in a long while
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trouble or time (esp in the phrase worth one's while )
it's hardly worth your while to begin work today
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at that time
he was working the while
Usage
It was formerly considered incorrect to use while to mean in spite of the fact that or whereas , but these uses have now become acceptable
Etymology
Origin of while
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hwīl; cognate with Dutch wijl, German weile, Old Norse hvīla, Gothic hweila
Explanation
While describes a length of time. If you were describing a first date, you might say, "We sat there for a while in an incredibly awkward silence." Use the word while to talk about an unspecific period of time, like when you ask your friend if you can borrow his notebook for a while. While is also a conjunction that describes things that happen at the same time, like crying while watching a very sad movie. The Old English root of while, hwil, is interesting because the w and the h are switched, but the meaning is the same: a space of time.
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.
See Examples For:
It reported that the Madonna and Christ in Pietà was removed directly from inside a secure display case, while all the paintings taken were on wooden panels, preventing them from easily being rolled up.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
I also saw the reality of more than 260 days at sea with more than 150 days in a combat zone, while speaking with sailors in spaces most guests don’t see.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Slice: Cut into 8 to 12 pieces; 8 makes generous breakfast-sized rolls, while 10 to 12 is better for sharing.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
He began studying the Tar Pits' relatively understudied reptile and amphibian collections while working there as a Postdoctoral Fellow.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Good, because while you got away without punishment this time, next time you won’t be so lucky,” Dad warns.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
It was a fully functioning ecosystem where contestants slept, ate, played, read and whiled away the hours, built in a stretch of empty field off a Greenville highway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026
Taking a Greyhound bus back to Palo Alto, Lesh whiled away a few years rooming with Constanten and working at the post office as he composed classical music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2024
The family said their "quiet and uncomplaining" mother, severely disabled by her stroke, had whiled away her days in a general care unit, and the specialist support she needed had barely begun.
From BBC ● May 29, 2024
Once that set ended, Zverev left the court for a medical timeout, and Alcaraz whiled away the time by twirling his racket as if it were a baton.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
Affable, placid Alicia whiled away her days in bed, playing with dolls in tents constructed from Mami’s sheets.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Since their arrival in Kinshasa, a megacity of more than 17 million people, the 15 South American migrants have been whiling away their time in a complex near the airport.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
Then he sold Google ads for a company called Linktech, whiling away his days cold-calling strangers who weren’t exactly happy to hear from him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2025
We were both whiling away the pandemic in Amagansett—a tiny Long Island beach town most people pass through on their way to Montauk—and I promised to teach her how to surf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2025
They wonder at young people who spend their days idle, swiping endlessly on cellphone videos and whiling away their savings on outdoor games of mahjong in steamy Shenzhen.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 26, 2023
Suddenly I realized that this unprofitable task of his was probably nothing more than a method of whiling away the early morning hours, much as other insomniacs do crossword puzzles.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
