different between amidst vs while

English

Alternative forms

• amidest (obsolete)
• amiddst (obsolete, rare)
• amiddest (obsolete)
• amydst (obsolete)
• amyddst (obsolete, rare)
• amyddest (obsolete, rare)

Etymology

amids +? -t (excrescent), from amid +? -s (genitive); surface analysis as amid +? -st (excrescent). Root amid from Middle English amidde, amiddes, on midden, from Old English on middan (“in the middle”), from midd (“central”) (English mid).

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /a?m?dst/, /??m?tst/
• Rhymes: -?dst

Preposition

amidst

1. In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.
   • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries Concerning the Human Understanding and Concerning the Principles of Morals. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 4.

     Be a philosopher ; but amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.

   • 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 5

     Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.

   Synonyms: amid, among, amongst

Usage notes

As with other words with excrescent suffix -st, amidst is generally considered synonymous with simpler amid, and amid is preferred by style guides on both sides of the Atlantic.

Further, amidst/amid are similar in meaning to – but distinct from – amongst/among. Amid(st) denotes that something is "in the midst of", "surrounded by" other things, and is used when the idea of separate things is not prominent. Among(st) denotes that something is mingling with other separable things ("blessed art thou among women").

Some speakers feel it is an obsolete form of amid. Amidst is more common in British English than American English, though it is used to some degree in both.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• admits

English

Etymology

From Old English hw?l, from Proto-West Germanic *hw?lu, from Proto-Germanic *hw?l? (compare Dutch wijl, Low German Wiel, German Weile), from Proto-Indo-European *k?yeh?- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit ??? (cirá), Persian ???? (š?d).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?a?l/, /wa?l/
• (in accents without the "wine-whine" merger)
• (in accents with the "wine-whine" merger)
• Rhymes: -a?l

Noun

while (plural whiles)

1. An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.

   It’s a long while since anyone lived there, so it’s a ruin now.

Synonyms

• spell; see also Thesaurus:uncertain period

Related terms

• in a while
• once in a while
• while loop

Translations

Conjunction

while

1. During the same time that.
   • 1948, Carey McWilliams, North from Mexico / The Spanish-Speaking People of The United States, J. B. Lippincott Company, page 25,

     While De Anza was exploring the Bay of San Francisco, seeking a site for the presidio, the American colonists on the eastern seaboard, three thousand miles away, were celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
2. Although.
   • 2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, "London Is Special, but Not That Special," New York Times (retrieved 28 September 2013):

     While Britain’s recession has been deep and unforgiving, in London it has been relatively shallow.

3. (Northern England, Scotland) Until.

4. As long as.
   • 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick, or The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth With a Variety of Rules to Guard

     Use your memory; you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement, while you take care not to load it to excess.

5. (media, public policy) Used to denote an individual experiencing racial profiling when performing a seemingly benign activity.

Usage notes

• See whilst.

Synonyms

• (during the same time that): whilst; see also Thesaurus:while
• (although): as much as; see also Thesaurus:even though
• (until): till; see also Thesaurus:until
• (as long as): provided that, providing, so long as

Translations

Preposition

while

1. (Northern England, Scotland) Until.

   • I may be conveyed into your chamber; I'll lie under your bed while midnight.

Verb

while (third-person singular simple present whiles, present participle whiling, simple past and past participle whiled)

1. (transitive) to while away the time / hours; to pass (time) idly

   Synonyms: idle, laze, lounge
2. To loiter.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spectator to this entry?)

   Synonyms: hang around, linger

3. (transitive) To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass.

Synonyms

• (loiter): see also Thesaurus:loiter

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations