Synonyms

whilst

American

[hwahylst, wahylst] / ʰwaɪlst, waɪlst /

conjunction

Chiefly British. while.

whilst British

/ waɪlst /

conjunction

another word for while while while while 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.

Explaining its selection, the AAS said O'Donoghue was an "extraordinarily creative and effective communicator" whilst also being a "recognised leader" in planetary science.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

But it warned "some services may still be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled whilst service recovers".

From BBC • May 7, 2026

And whilst water supplies are currently at normal levels, some people will draw comparisons with this time last year when some places started heading into drought.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

“I’m not aware of huge numbers of elderly people falling out of windows whilst cleaning them,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Cudn Hope said, “Li’l Beulah had to watch whilst Miss Winnie went flyin’ off to Kingdom Come.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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