whilst

[hwahylst, wahylst]

See more synonyms for whilst on Thesaurus.com

conjunction

Chiefly British. while.

Origin of whilst

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for whilst

Contemporary Examples

Whilst Whitacre never defined himself as an “ally,” this remains a cautionary tale of what not to do.
Tech’s Male ‘Feminists’ Aren’t Helping
Cate Huston, Karen Catlin
December 8, 2014
But recently, the MPAA has loosened the stick in its collective ass and allowed women to go there whilst maintaining an R rating.
Oral Sex Comes of Age in Hollywood: ‘Gone Girl’ the Latest Film to Showcase Female Pleasure
Marlow Stern
October 4, 2014
What has allowed him to continue his activities for so long, whilst leaving such an extensive open-source trail?
Tehran’s Chinese Missile Man
Jefferson Morley
June 9, 2014
The clothes generated electronic sounds that played in the night club, whilst the audience watched from sunken sofas.
Iris Van Herpen Spring/Summer 2014: Sonic Youth
Liza Foreman
October 1, 2013
The white stockings soon follow, with Darling slowly removing them whilst gyrating atop the drum kit.
Meet Katrina Darling: Kate Middleton’s Naughty, Burlesque-Dancing Cousin
Marlow Stern
March 15, 2012

Historical Examples

And whilst I'm in it, is not it my duty to work for my wife and children?
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Vivian, of course, cursed ambition, as all men do whilst they are in love.
Tales And Novels, Volume 5 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
It was whilst his mind was in this situation that he became acquainted with Belinda.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Never tell me what people say, whilst I am happy in the arms of him I love.
Joseph Andrews, Vol. 2
Henry Fielding
Lorenzi would in any case have gone to-morrow, whilst I should have remained.
Casanova's Homecoming
Arthur Schnitzler

British Dictionary definitions for whilst

whilst

conjunction

mainly British another word for while (def. 1), while (def. 2), while (def. 3), while (def. 4), while (def. 5)

Word Origin

C13: from whiles + -t as in amidst

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

Word Origin and History for whilst

adv.

late 14c., from while (q.v.) with adverbial genitive -s-, and excrescent -t- (as in amongst, amidst).

whilst

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}whilst

Examples from the Web for whilst

Contemporary Examples

Whilst Whitacre never defined himself as an “ally,” this remains a cautionary tale of what not to do.

But recently, the MPAA has loosened the stick in its collective ass and allowed women to go there whilst maintaining an R rating.

What has allowed him to continue his activities for so long, whilst leaving such an extensive open-source trail?

The clothes generated electronic sounds that played in the night club, whilst the audience watched from sunken sofas.

The white stockings soon follow, with Darling slowly removing them whilst gyrating atop the drum kit.

Historical Examples

And whilst I'm in it, is not it my duty to work for my wife and children?

Vivian, of course, cursed ambition, as all men do whilst they are in love.

It was whilst his mind was in this situation that he became acquainted with Belinda.

Never tell me what people say, whilst I am happy in the arms of him I love.

Lorenzi would in any case have gone to-morrow, whilst I should have remained.

whilst

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for whilst

adv.

Origin of whilst