Alanna Madden
October 6, 2020
Grammar Tips
Whilst and while are synonymous as a conjunction or relative adverb. However, “whilst” is chiefly British, and it never replaces “while” as a noun or verb.
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English speakers have used the words while and whilst for hundreds of years. But when it comes to Modern English, many writers are unsure of when to use either term. The word “whilst” certainly sounds fancier, but these terms don’t always have the same meaning.
The words while and whilst share the same meanings as subordinating conjunctions, where they join two clauses to describe simultaneous events or a contrast between ideas. For example,
While and whilst also share the same meaning as relative adverbs (e.g., where, when, why, and which) to introduce a relative clause. As a relative adverb, “whilst” and “while” replace the meaning of ‘during which.’ For example,
In either case, the main difference between while and whilst involves regional dialects:
We often see grammar enthusiasts debate over whether “whilst” or “while” came first. But if you want to understand the origins of these conjunctions, it’s crucial to consider another source of confusion: “whiles.”
As noted within the New Oxford American Dictionary, the word “whiles” is also a conjunction (albeit, an uncommon one) (“Whiles” 1969). Middle English “whiles” is an archaic form of “while,” where it was used within adverbs to mean “somewhiles” for ‘formerly’ or “otherwhiles” for ‘at times’ (1969).
The Brits’ use of “whilst” began in late Middle English as a reconstruction of “whiles,” where the “-t” was added to the end (“Whilst” 1969). Similar regional differences occur with terms like “amidst vs. amid” or “amongst vs. among,” where words ending with “-st” are more common in England, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand than in the United States.
However, there was a time when “whilst” occurred interchangeably with “while” for American vocabularies. According to Garner’s Modern English Usage, the word “whilst” became obsolete from American English throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, noting that it “struck many American readers as reeking with pretension unless the source was British” (“Whilst” 963).
Before we move on, it’s worth noting that the conjunctions while and whilst are Middle English abbreviations of Old English thā hwīle (‘the while that’), stemming from Old English ‘hwīle’ (‘period of time’). As explained by Fowler’s Modern English Usage, the conjunctions’ initial definitions meant “during the time that” or “at the same time as.”
The nontemporal meaning of while and whilst didn’t emerge until the 16th century (Early Modern English), where English speakers integrated the conjunction to mean ‘although’ or ‘whereas’ (“While” 882).
So, there you have it: First came the noun (while), then the adverb (whiles), then the conjunction (whiles), and then, shortly after, the conjunctions (while and whilst).
Outside of conjunctions and relative adverbs, American English uses “while” as a verb and noun. But as it turns out, so do English speakers everywhere else. This is because “while” is not always synonymous with “whilst.”
As a noun and verb, the word “while” always conveys the concept of time. We use “while” as a noun to mean ‘a period of time’ and the verb to mean ‘to pass the time in a leisurely manner.’ You might recognize these terms within phrases like:
Remember: No matter where you’re from, never replace the noun or verb “while” with “whilst;” they are entirely separate words.
The word “while” primarily exists as an English noun, conjunction, and verb. As a conjunction or adverb, “while” is synonymous with “whilst” (chiefly British).
As a noun, the word “while” means ‘an indefinite but short period of time’ or ‘the time and effort it takes to complete a task.’ Additionally, the noun “while” is often found in phrases like “a while” to mean ‘for some time.’
Example sentences:
[1]: Age, bit, day, duration, eternity, infinity, jiffy, lapse, length of time, minute, moment, period, perpetuity, season, second, space, span, spell, stage, stretch, stint, term, time.
[2]: Attempt, effort, endeavor, exertion, expenditure, grind, labor, pains, shot, strain, sweat, trouble, work.
[2]: Adroitness, dormancy, ease, idleness, inaction, indolence, inertia, languor, quiescence.
English speakers use while (or whilst) as a conjunction for two distinct purposes:
1. To describe how one or more events occur simultaneously or ‘as long as something occurs.’ For example,
2. To contrast ideas in a manner similar to ‘although’ or ‘in spite of the fact that…’. For example,
[1]: As, at the same time that, during the time that, for the period that, so long as, during, in the time, throughout the time, when, while.
[2]: Albeit, although, as, but, despite the fact that, despite the possibility, even if, even though, even supposing, for all that, granted that, howbeit, however, in spite of the fact, much as, notwithstanding, though, when, whereas, while.
[1]: After.
Lastly, the transitive verb “while” means ‘to pass time in an idle, pleasant, or leisurely manner.’ Verb forms of while include: whiled (past participle/tense), whiling (present participle/continuous tenses), and while/whiles (present tense).
Example sentences:
Beguile, kill time, occupy, pass, spend.
The only time writers need to choose between “while” and “whilst” is when they’re using the terms as a conjunction or relative adverb. Therefore, the most important rule for usage involves regional dialects:
With that being said, The Word Counter has a few tips for using either term in a sentence:
English writers can use the conjunction while to contrast or compare independent clauses. Still, some grammarians advise against this practice when it summons the notion of ‘time.’ To avoid ambiguity, try opting for a nontemporal conjunction, such as:
According to Garner’s Modern English Usage, “while” should never replace the conjunction ‘and’ (“While” 962). For example,
Correct examples of the conjunctions “while” and “and” include:
Another common error for the word “while” involves redundant phrases like “while at the same time.” The conjunction “while” already conveys simultaneous actions, so following it with “at the same time” creates a tautology (i.e., saying the same thing twice).
Think you know the difference between while and whilst? See how well you understand these commonly confused words with the following multiple-choice questions.
Answers
