while

noun
UK: /waɪl/
US: /waɪl/

  1. A period of time.

    1. I waited a short while for the bus. [ ] [ ]
    2. It took quite a while to finish the complex project. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

space period duration term as long as whilst although whereas
while verb

  1. To pass time in a relaxed way.

    1. We while away the hours reading. [ ] [ ]
    2. They whiled away the afternoon playing cards in the garden. [ ] [ ]
while conjunction

  1. During the time that; at the same time.

    1. I read while she cooked dinner. [ ] [ ]
    2. While I understand your point, I don't fully agree with you. [ ] [ ]

  2. Although; whereas.

    1. While I like cats, I prefer dogs. [ ] [ ]
    2. While the city offers excitement, the countryside provides peace. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "while" is /waɪl/ in British English and /waɪl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "while": space, period, duration, term, as long as, whilst, although, whereas.

Example usage of "while": "I waited a short while for the bus.". More examples on the page.