when
adverb
\ ˈhwen
, ˈwen, (h)wən\
, ˈwen, (h)wən\
Definition of when
(Entry 1 of 4)
1
: at what time
when will you return
2a
: at or during which time
b
: and then
3
: at a former and usually less prosperous time
brag fondly of having known him when— Vance Packard
when
conjunction
\ ˈhwen
, ˈwen, (h)wən\
, ˈwen, (h)wən\
Definition of when (Entry 2 of 4)
1a
: at or during the time that : while
went fishing when he was a boy
b
: just at the moment that
stop writing when the bell rings
c
: at any or every time that
when he listens to music, he falls asleep
2
: in the event that : if
a contestant is disqualified when he disobeys the rules
3a
: considering that
why use water at all when you can drown in it— Stuart Chase
b
: in spite of the fact that : although
quit politics when I might have had a great career in it
4
: the time or occasion at or in which
tomorrow is when we must decide humor is when you laugh— Earl Rovit
when
pronoun
\ ˈhwen
, ˈwen\
, ˈwen\
Definition of when (Entry 3 of 4)
: what or which time
life-long homes for those … who have lived here since when— Kim Waller
when
noun
\ ˈhwen
, ˈwen\
, ˈwen\
Definition of when (Entry 4 of 4)
: the time in which something is done or comes about
troubled his head very little about the hows and whens of life— Laurence Sterne
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for when
Synonyms: Conjunction
as, so long as, while, whilst [chiefly British]
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of when in a Sentence
Adverb
When did the American Civil War begin? The detective asked me when I last saw her. When is the next performance? It was a time when people didn't have to lock their doors. the happy days when we were together We're still waiting for the test results, when we'll decide our next move.Conjunction
When he finally showed up, he was drunk. When I was in school, we didn't have computers. You can go when the bell rings. Call me when you get home. Things were better when he got a job. When he watches television, he falls asleep. She quit politics when she might have had a great career in it.Pronoun
He retired in 1998, since when he has been devoting his time to gardening. You need the report by when?
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
In a year when sneaker maximalism is seemingly inescapable, the Killshot is a refreshing breath of simplicity. — Tyler Watamanuk, GQ, "The Nike Killshot 2 Is Back at J.Crew," 7 May 2018 Trump has inspired countless novice candidates across the country, who see no limit to their ability to win public office at a time when Americans are tired of politics as usual and have lost faith in government and other institutions. — Christa Case Bryant, The Christian Science Monitor, "In West Virginia, GOP tries to tame forces of 'Trumpism'," 7 May 2018 One happened to be in Parkland, when Gonzalez was in first grade. — Danielle Paquette, courant.com, "People think she's a Parkland "crisis actor." It's terrifying.," 7 May 2018 Earlier this season, the Enquirer wrote a story showing that Cincinnati's winning percentage increases when Walker is in the starting lineup. — Charlie Hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Kenney Walker's 50-yard strike for FC Cincinnati named USL's April Goal of the Month," 7 May 2018 The behavior only changed when the award was within grasp. — Neil Senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Do employee incentives and bonuses work?," 7 May 2018 Ken thinks its heckling, when people are asking for his help. — EW.com, "Ken Jeong jumps off stage mid-show to help audience member having seizure," 7 May 2018 Orlando City’s depth is real … but there’s catch Anyone else know when was the last time Chris Schuler played a full 90 minutes? — Jordan Culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando City enjoys record win streak, but tough tests loom," 7 May 2018 One sign that things were amiss came Friday morning, when Haspel was due to have conducted a walk-through at the hearing room in the Hart Senate Office Building. — NBC News, "Gina Haspel considered withdrawing as CIA nominee, sources say," 6 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The springy, lightweight nylon frames comfortably grip the head with sticky-when-wet pads at the nose and earpieces. — Outside Online, "The Best Sunglasses of 2018," 15 May 2018 Will's penned destruction of Trump -- as only the always-use-the-$1,000-word-when-the-$1-word-would-do wordsmith can -- will draw most of the attention. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "George Will just exposed Mike Pence's Faustian bargain," 10 May 2018 Daniel could have said no when his flinty-when-not-curmudgeonly father, Jay, asked to audit the classics class Daniel was teaching at Bard College. — Peter Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, "'An Odyssey' is a father-son journey with Homer as guide," 20 Sep. 2017 What the possibilities of technology offer — beyond the gig-when-you-need-it networks — are a chance to collectively rethink generations of regulations. — Scott Canon, kansascity, "Digital Life: Tech in a nanny state or Ayn Rand wonderland," 29 May 2017 The party guests are playing a freeze-when-the-music-stops game, but Joe is off in his own world, not paying attention. — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, "‘The A Word’ Places Autism Front and Center MARCH 30, 2016," 12 July 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'when.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more