whilst
Meanings
Adv
- Often preceded by the: During the time; meanwhile.
Conj
- Synonym of while.
- During the whole, or until the end, of the time that; as long as, at the same time.
- Synonym of while.
- Within, or before the end, of the time that.
- Synonym of while.
- Although; in contrast; whereas.
- Synonym of while.
- Besides; in addition.
- Synonym of while.
- Only if; provided that; as long as; so long as.
Origin / Etymology
From Late Middle English whilst, whilest, qwhilste (Northern England), quilest (Northwest Midlands) [and other forms], from whiles (“during the time that, while; only so long as; provided that; because, since; until”) + -t (excrescent suffix, perhaps due to a combination of -(e)s and the following word the, or influenced by the superlative suffix -est). Whiles is derived from whiles (“period of time, a while”, noun) (probably from the second element of adverbs and conjunctions like otherwhiles and somewhiles), from while (“period of time, a while”, noun) + -s (suffix forming adverbs of manner, space, and time); and while is from Old English hwīl (“period of time, a while”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (“period of time, a while; period of rest, break, pause”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest; peace, rest”). The English word can be analysed as whiles + -t (excrescent suffix appended to words suffixed with -s).
cognates
* West Frisian wylst (“whilst”)
Scrabble Score: 12
whilst is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordwhilst is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
whilst is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary