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.

Sales on Amazon nearly doubled last week compared with the same period in 2025, whilst electronics outlet Fnac Darty reported double-digit growth.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

"Since then it has been about how we support these guys, whilst not overlooking the fact they have not lived up to the standards we have set for ourselves."

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

As part of his sentence, he was permitted to attend work during the day, whilst spending the night in his prison cell.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

"We hope this film will go a long way to raise awareness of how to live whilst facing a life-changing diagnosis."

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

“The babies stays with this woman whilst the folks is at work. That’s her address. You got any more questions? I needs to get back to work.”

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis

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