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while

conj. · n. · v.
US //ˈhwaɪɫ// UK //wˈaɪl// while
  1. 1 at the same time (conj.)
    A2 Elementary

    during the time that something else is happening.

    used to indicate that two actions or events are occurring simultaneously.

    Example

    I like to listen to music while I am cleaning the house.

    Example

    The researchers monitored the subjects' heart rates while they performed the cognitive tasks to see how stress affected their performance.
  2. 2 contrast or although (conj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    used to show a difference between two things or to mean 'although'.

    used as a contrastive connector to introduce a concessive clause or to highlight a difference between two subjects.

    Example

    While I understand your point, I still disagree with the final decision.

    Example

    While the first experiment yielded promising results, the subsequent trials failed to replicate the initial findings under more rigorous conditions.
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  1. 3 a period of time (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a length of time, usually a short or medium period.

    an indefinite period of time, often used in prepositional phrases like 'for a while' or 'after a while'.

    Example

    We sat on the park bench for a while and watched the birds.

    Example

    It may take a while for the new software to become fully integrated into our daily workflow, so please be patient with the transition.
  2. 4 to pass time (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to spend time in a relaxed way while waiting for something.

    to pass time in a leisurely or idle manner, almost exclusively used in the phrasal construction 'while away'.

    Example

    They whiled away the rainy afternoon playing board games in the hotel lobby.

    Example

    The travellers whiled away the long hours of the layover by browsing the duty-free shops and reading old magazines.

    Usage

    Almost always used as 'while away' followed by a time-related object like 'the hours' or 'the afternoon'.
Origin

From Middle English whyle, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic hwīlu, from Proto-Germanic hwīlō (compare Dutch wijl, Low German Wiel, German Weile, Danish hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).

Word family

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