Standard Lemma guide

while

conj · name · noun · prep · verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ʍaɪl/
  • /waɪl/
  • US, unstressed: /wæl/
  • US, unstressed: /wɑl/
  • US: non-wine-whine Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: wine-whine Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪl
  • homophone: wile
  • CMU ARPABET: W AY1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: HH W AY1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

conj

Meaning 1

During the same time that.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was sleeping while I was singing.
  • Driving while intoxicated is against the law.
  • I lived in Ávila for two lustra while I was a child.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

conj

Meaning 2

Although.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This case, while interesting, is a bit frustrating.
  • While I would love to help, I am very busy at the moment.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

conj

Meaning 3

Until.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Northern-England, Scotland

Examples

  • I'll wait while you've finished painting.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

conj

Meaning 4

As long as.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • While you're at school you may live at home.
  • While there's quiet I can sleep.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

name

Meaning 5

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He lectured for quite a long while.
  • It’s a long while since anyone lived there, so it’s a ruin now.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spell, space, throw, while

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.

An uncertain long period of time

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spell, space, throw, while, age, aeon, ages, blue moon, coon's age, crow's age, dog's age, donkey's years, eld, eon, eternity, forever, forever and a day, interim, interlude, interval, lifetime, long haul, long run, meantime, minute, month of Sundays, years, yonks

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.

an uncertain short moment

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Philippines

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spell, space, throw, while, bit, bat of an eye, blink of an eye, crack, eyeblink, flash, glimpse, half a mo, instant, jiff, jiffy, jot, minute, mo, moment, New York minute, New York second, no time, sec, second, span, split-second, spurt, stound, tick, trice, twink, twinkle, twinkling

Antonyms: none provided

9

prep

Meaning 9

Until.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Northern-England, Scotland

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To pass (time) idly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-compounds, transitive

Qualifier: see also while away

Examples

  • I whiled away the hours whilst waiting for him to arrive

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: idle, laze, lounge

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To elapse, to pass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

Alternative spelling or misspelling of wile.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative, misspelling

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he was here for a little while
  • I need to rest for a piece
  • a spell of good weather
  • a patch of bad weather

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: piece, spell, patch

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time

Narrower terms: cold spell, cold snap, hot spell, snap

History

Etymology

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 and Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Nynorsk kvila (“rest”), Swedish vila (“rest”), Faroese and Icelandic hvíla (“rest”)) from Proto-Indo-European *kwyeh1- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).

Across languages

Translations

240 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: فِي حِين (fī ḥīn) — during the same time that
  • Arabic: بَيْنَمَا (baynamā) — during the same time that
  • Arabic: لما (lama) — during the same time that
  • Arabic: فلْوقْط (fəlwəqṭ) — during the same time that
  • Armenian: մինչ (minčʻ) — during the same time that
  • Asturian: mientres — during the same time that
  • Asturian: dun — during the same time that
  • Basque: bitartean — during the same time that
  • Belarusian: паку́ль (pakúlʹ) — during the same time that
  • Belarusian: у той час як (u toj čas jak) — during the same time that
  • Belarusian: да таго́ ча́су, паку́ль (da tahó čásu, pakúlʹ) — during the same time that
  • Bulgarian: докато (dokato) — during the same time that
  • Catalan: mentre — during the same time that
  • Catalan: mentre que — during the same time that
  • Chinese Mandarin: ...的時候 /...的时候 (...de shíhou) — during the same time that
  • Chinese Mandarin: 當 /当 (dāng) — during the same time that
  • Czech: zatímco — during the same time that
  • Danish: mens — during the same time that
  • Danish: medens — during the same time that
  • Dutch: terwijl — during the same time that
  • Egyptian: x*t:f (ḫft) — during the same time that
  • Esperanto: dum — during the same time that
  • Finnish: kun — during the same time that
  • Finnish: sillä välin kun — during the same time that
  • Finnish: sillä aikaa kun — during the same time that
  • Finnish: samaan aikaan kun — during the same time that
  • French: pendant que — during the same time that
  • French: tant que — during the same time that
  • French: tandis que — during the same time that
  • French: alors que — during the same time that
  • West-Frisian: wylst — during the same time that
  • Galician: mentres — during the same time that
  • Galician: entrementres — during the same time that
  • Galician: namentres — during the same time that
  • Georgian: განმავლობაში (ganmavlobaši) — during the same time that
  • German: während — during the same time that
  • German: solange — during the same time that
  • Gothic: 𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌴 (þandē) — during the same time that
  • Greek: καθώς (kathós) — during the same time that
  • Greek: ενώ (enó) — during the same time that
  • Greek: ενόσω (enóso) — during the same time that
  • Hebrew: בזמן ש־ (biz'mán she-) — during the same time that
  • Hungarian: miközben — during the same time that
  • Hungarian: mialatt — during the same time that
  • Hungarian: amíg — during the same time that
  • Hungarian: ameddig — during the same time that
  • Hungarian: míg — during the same time that
  • Ido: dum — during the same time that
  • Ido: dum ke — during the same time that
  • Indonesian: sementara — during the same time that
  • Indonesian: seraya — during the same time that
  • Interlingua: durante que — during the same time that
  • Irish: agus — during the same time that
  • Italian: mentre — during the same time that
  • Japanese: ...間に (...aida ni) — during the same time that
  • Japanese: ...時に (...toki ni) — during the same time that
  • Japanese: ...ながら (...nagara) — during the same time that
  • Khmer: ក្នុងពេល (knoŋ peel) — during the same time that
  • Korean: 동안 (dong'an) — during the same time that
  • Latgalian: cikom — during the same time that
  • Latgalian: koleņ — during the same time that
  • Latin: dum — during the same time that
  • Latin: dōnec — during the same time that
  • Latvian: kamēr — during the same time that
  • Low German: wil — during the same time that
  • Macedonian: додека (dodeka) — during the same time that
  • Malay: sambil — during the same time that
  • Malay: semasa — during the same time that
  • Malay: sementara — during the same time that
  • Māori: keiwhā — during the same time that
  • Māori: koi — during the same time that
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mens — during the same time that
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: medan — during the same time that
  • Old Church Slavonic: ѥгда (jegda) — during the same time that
  • Old English: þā hwīle þe — during the same time that
  • Persian: هنگامی که (hangâmi ke) — during the same time that
  • Persian: مادامی که (mâdâmê ke) — during the same time that
  • Polish: gdy — during the same time that
  • Polish: podczas — during the same time that
  • Polish: dopóki — during the same time that
  • Portuguese: enquanto — during the same time that
  • Romanian: în timp ce — during the same time that
  • Russian: пока́ (poká) — during the same time that
  • Russian: до тех пор, пока́ (do tex por, poká) — during the same time that
  • Russian: в то вре́мя, как (v to vrémja, kak) — during the same time that
  • Russian: во вре́мя (vo vrémja) — during the same time that
  • Serbo-Croatian: док — during the same time that
  • Serbo-Croatian: dok — during the same time that
  • Sicilian: a p'assissì — during the same time that
  • Sicilian: a mentri ca — during the same time that
  • Sicilian: nnô mentri ca — during the same time that
  • Spanish: mientras — during the same time that
  • Spanish: mientras que — during the same time that
  • Spanish: mientra (desus.) — during the same time that
  • Spanish: demientra (desus.) — during the same time that
  • Swedish: medan — during the same time that
  • Thai: ในขณะที่ (nai-kà-nà-tîi) — during the same time that
  • Turkish: -ken — during the same time that
  • Turkish: iken — during the same time that
  • Turkish: aynı zamanda — during the same time that
  • Ukrainian: по́ки (póky) — during the same time that
  • Ukrainian: до́ки (dóky) — during the same time that
  • Ukrainian: під ча́с (pid čás) — during the same time that
  • Ukrainian: у той час як (u toj čas jak) — during the same time that
  • Ukrainian: до тих пір, як (do tyx pir, jak) — during the same time that
  • Vietnamese: trong khi — during the same time that
  • Vietnamese: trong lúc — during the same time that
  • Walloon: tins ki — during the same time that
  • Walloon: sol tins ki — during the same time that
  • Yiddish: בעת (beys) — during the same time that
  • Arabic: وخّا (wəḵḵa) — although
  • Bashkir: булһа ла (bulha la) — although
  • Catalan: malgrat — although
  • Czech: byť — although
  • Dutch: hoewel — although
  • Dutch: terwijl — although
  • Esperanto: kvankam — although
  • Finnish: vaikka — although
  • Finnish: vaikkakin — although
  • Finnish: kun taas — although
  • French: tandis que — although
  • French: bien que — although
  • French: quoique — although
  • German: obwohl — although
  • German: obgleich — although
  • German: während — although
  • German: auch wenn — although
  • Greek: ενώ (enó) — although
  • Greek: καίτοι (kaítoi) — although
  • Greek: αν και (an kai) — although
  • Greek: μολονότι (molonóti) — although
  • Hungarian: bár — although
  • Hungarian: habár — although
  • Hungarian: noha — although
  • Hungarian: jóllehet — although
  • Hungarian: ámbár — although
  • Interlingua: ben que — although
  • Italian: malgrado — although
  • Italian: benché — although
  • Italian: sebbene — although
  • Central Kurdish: ئەگەرچی (egerçî) — although
  • Macedonian: иако (iako) — although
  • Macedonian: макар (makar) — although
  • Navajo: yíneeʼ — although
  • Norwegian Bokmål: selv om — although
  • Polish: chociaż — although
  • Polish: mimo — although
  • Portuguese: embora — although
  • Portuguese: malgrado — although
  • Romanian: deși — although
  • Russian: хотя́ (xotjá) — although
  • Spanish: aunque — although
  • Spanish: si bien — although
  • Spanish: bien que — although
  • Spanish: aun cuando — although
  • Swedish: fastän — although
  • Turkish: rağmen — although
  • Walloon: mågré ki — although
  • Walloon: cweki — although
  • Dutch: zolang — as long as
  • Finnish: kun — as long as
  • Finnish: niin kauan kuin — as long as
  • Finnish: sillä välin kun — as long as
  • Finnish: sillä aikaa kun — as long as
  • French: tant que — as long as
  • German: solange — as long as
  • Greek: εφόσον (efóson) — as long as
  • Hungarian: amíg — as long as
  • Hungarian: ameddig — as long as
  • Hungarian: míg — as long as
  • Irish: chomh fada is — as long as
  • Irish: chúns — as long as
  • Norwegian Bokmål: så lenge — as long as
  • Romanian: cât timp — as long as
  • Spanish: en tanto que — as long as
  • Spanish: con tal que — as long as
  • Spanish: siempre y cuando — as long as
  • Spanish: mientras — as long as
  • Arabic: مُدَّة (mudda) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Arabic: فَتْرَة (fatra) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Catalan: estona — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一段時間 /一段时间 (yī duàn shíjiān) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Czech: chvíle — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Dutch: tijdje — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Dutch: momentje — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Dutch: een hele tijd — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Dutch: poosje — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Finnish: aika — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • French: moment — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • West-Frisian: skoft — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Galician: tempo — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Galician: intre — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Georgian: დრო (dro) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Georgian: დროის მონაკვეთი (drois monaḳveti) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • German: Weile — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • German: Weilchen n diminutive — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • German: Zeitspanne — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Gothic: 𐍈𐌴𐌹𐌻𐌰 (ƕeila) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Greek: διάστημα (diástima) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Greek: χρόνος (chrónos) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Hungarian: idő — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Hungarian: egy ideig — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Hungarian: egy darabig — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Interlingua: tempore — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Irish: tamall — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Irish: scaitheamh — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Italian: periodo — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Italian: po' — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Italian: lasso di tempo — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Japanese: 期間 (kikan) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Kazakh: сол уақытта (sol uaqytta) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Korean: 한참 (hancham) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Korean: 기간 (gigan) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Korean: 동안 (dong'an) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Central Kurdish: ماوە (mawe) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Manchu: ᠪᡳᠯᠠᡤᠠᠨ (bilagan) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Norwegian: stund — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Old English: hwīl — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Polish: chwila — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Polish: jakiś czas — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Portuguese: tempo — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Romanian: vreme — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Russian: вре́мя (vrémja) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Russian: промежу́ток вре́мени (promežútok vrémeni) — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Scottish Gaelic: greis — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Spanish: rato — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Swedish: stund — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Swedish: tag — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Thai: ขณะที่ — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Turkish: -ken — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Turkish: iken — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Walloon: moumint — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Walloon: hapêye — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Walloon: houbonde — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • Welsh: sbel — uncertain duration of time, a period of time
  • German: vertrödeln — to loiter
  • German: unterhalten — to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass
  • German: beschäftigen — to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass
  • German: (gemeinsam) die Zeit verbringen — to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass
  • Italian: intrattenere — to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass
Real reading context

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