What does “while” mean?
- 1
conjunctionduring the time that something else happens
I listened to music while I cooked.
- 2
conjunctionused to compare or contrast two things
My sister likes cats, while I prefer dogs.
- 3
nouna period of time
I waited for a while, then left.
While at a glance
- Part of speech
- conjunction & noun
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /waɪl/ · WYLE
How to use “while” correctly
“While” is followed by a clause (“while I was eating”); “during” is followed by a noun (“during lunch”).
Common phrases with “while”
- for a while
- a short while
- once in a while
- worth your while
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Idioms with “while”
- Strike while the iron is hot: To act quickly while you have a good opportunity.
- Make hay while the sun shines: Make the most of a good opportunity while it lasts.
“while” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- already adverbA2before now, or earlier than expected
- century nounA2a period of one hundred years
- continue verbA2to keep doing something or keep happening without stopping
- during prepositionA2all through a period of time, or at some point within it
- event nounA2something that happens, especially something important or unusual
- ever adverbA2at any time, used mostly in questions and negative sentences
- final adjectiveA2coming at the end; last
- finally adverbA2after a long time or a lot of waiting