while
noun
\ ˈhwī(-ə)l
, ˈwī(-ə)l\
, ˈwī(-ə)l\
Definition of while
(Entry 1 of 4)
while
conjunctionDefinition of while (Entry 2 of 4)
1a
: during the time that
take a nap while I'm out
b
: as long as
while there's life there's hope
2a
: when on the other hand : whereas
easy for an expert, while it is dangerous for a novice
b
: in spite of the fact that : although
while respected, he is not liked
3
: similarly and at the same time that
while the book will be welcomed by scholars, it will make an immediate appeal to the general reader — British Book News
while
prepositionDefinition of while (Entry 3 of 4)
dialectal British
: until
while
verb
whiled;
whiling
Definition of while (Entry 4 of 4)
: to cause to pass especially without boredom or in a pleasant manner
—usually used with away while away the time
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Synonyms for while
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Conjunction
as, so long as, when, whilst [chiefly British]
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Examples of while in a Sentence
Noun
It took them a while to find out what was causing the problem. we stayed at the fair for a while longerConjunction
Someone called while you were out. You can get the photos developed while you wait. The phone rang while I was doing the dishes. They met while they were in college. Can I get you anything while I'm at the store? He made a comment that, while well-intentioned, still hurt my feelings. While I think some parts of the plan are good, I don't think it's practical.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
That’s sort of what happens every once in a while in our business. — Alan Blinder, BostonGlobe.com, "A twist for SEC football: No new head coaches," 29 Aug. 2019 Every once in a while some pessimist, the cockles of whose heart do not warm to a three base hit, sits up and takes notice long enough to remark that baseball is dying out… As a matter of fact the game is faster today than ever before. — Emma Baccellieri, SI.com, "A Brief History of the Many Times Baseball Has Died," 29 Aug. 2019 Bezos especially, who is the richest person in the world and has been for a while now, has plenty of his own billions. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, "Newt Gingrich's Moon Sweepstakes Are a Confounding Development in Today's Space Race," 29 Aug. 2019 Ultimately, the best strategy is to install only the apps that are truly useful and to uninstall apps that haven’t been used in a while. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Google Play app with 100 million downloads executed secret payloads," 27 Aug. 2019 Brittany’ resolutely goes its own way, entertaining us as richly as anything that’s come out in a while. — Mark Olsenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Indie Focus: Goals and achievement in ‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’," 23 Aug. 2019 That means the case shows up in photos routinely, unlike a shirt someone wears only once in a while. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "Models like Gigi Hadid are sending a mental health message through their phone cases," 20 Aug. 2019 The industry can take, and has survived, a drought every once in a while. — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, "'Snow droughts' are coming for the American West," 14 Aug. 2019 The PawBender is a cup of vanilla frozen custard topped with biscuits and peanut butter, because everyone — and every dog — deserves a treat once in a while. — Allyson Reedy, The Know, "These dog-friendly Colorado restaurants have special menus just for your pup," 7 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The adjoining no-frills, outdoor Shipwreck Bar is a place to while the rest of the afternoon away. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Vogue’s Official Guide to the Hamptons," 3 July 2019 Tobin Heath, her legs heavy with exhaustion, held the ball in the corner, holding off two French defenders, hungrily snapping at her heels, trying to while away a few precious seconds. — New York Times, "With an Abundance of Confidence, U.S. Gives an Advanced Class in Cool," 28 June 2019 Members also can stream the concert on demand for a limited time afterward, perhaps to while away the hours until Amazon’s Prime Day sale, which starts at midnight July 15 and runs for 48 hours. — Christie D'zurilla, latimes.com, "Amazon’s Prime Day wants to lure you in with Taylor Swift concert," 27 June 2019 The couple, who became engaged last month, were seen getting emotional during a bike ride and while out at a restaurant. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Were Seen Crying Together and Now We're Crying," 7 Aug. 2018 Few who are well versed in tarot would mistake a serious deck as a fun way to while away the afternoon. — Jane Stern, Town & Country, "My Love of Tarot Is a Family Tradition," 24 Sep. 2018 Floating along the lazy Russian River in an inner tube accessorized with an inflatable pink flamingo cooler is a perfect way to while away the summer. — Catherine Bigelow, SFChronicle.com, "Summer’s R&R hot spots from SF’s social set," 10 July 2018 Other safety tips while away include buying a timer for lights and setting them to turn off and on at random, or asking neighbors or friends to occasionally park in the driveway. — Alex Riggins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Sheriff's Department offers free home checks for residents on vacation," 5 July 2018 The city exists within a single building; there are single rooms with no locks, each with a bed, a dresser, and — if the resident’s family provides one — a television set with which to while away the hours. — Leslie Kendall Dye, Longreads, "City on a Hill," 23 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'while.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for while
while
conjunctionEnglish Language Learners Definition of while (Entry 2 of 2)
: during the time that