whilst

conjunction

ˈ(h)wī(-ə)lst How to pronounce whilst (audio)
Synonyms of whilstnext
chiefly British
: while
I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the coach …—Bram Stoker
… wisely decided to hold my peace, whilst Cynthia exhausted every possible hypothesis …—Agatha Christie
… the chief difference between the "employed" and "self-employed" categories being that the former may enjoy unemployment benefit whilst the latter may not.—Harry Calvert

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of whilst in a Sentence

I like to get my knitting done whilst watching the telly. whilst a good worker, he's not a very good manager

Word History

Etymology

Middle English whilest, alteration of whiles

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whilst was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near whilst

whilom

whilst

whim

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Whilst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whilst. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

whilst

conjunction
ˈhwī(ə)lst How to pronounce whilst (audio)
ˈwī(ə)lst
chiefly British
: while entry 2

More from Merriam-Webster on whilst

Nglish: Translation of whilst for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of whilst for Arabic Speakers

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