different between while vs within

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

English

Etymology

From Middle English withinne, withinnen, from Old English wiþinnan; equivalent to with +? in.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /w?ð??n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /w?ð??n/, /w????n/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /w????n/
• Hyphenation: with?in

Preposition

within

1. In the inner part, spatially; physically inside.
   • 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows,

     The Rat […] lightly stepped into a little boat which the Mole had not observed. It was painted blue outside and white within, and was just the size for two animals; and the Mole's whole heart went out to it at once […] .

2. In the scope or range of.
   • 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France [1]

     England struck back with a fine try from Ben Foden and closed to within seven points with three minutes left when Mark Cueto capitalised on a break from replacement Matt Banahan.

3. Before the specified duration ends.
   • 2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 1, 27:

     On October 6, 1927, Warner Bros. released The Jazz Singer, the first sound-synched feature film, prompting a technological shift of unprecedented speed and unstoppable force. Within two years, nearly every studio release was a talkie.

Antonyms

• without
• outside
• outwith

Derived terms

• within an inch of one's life

Translations

Adverb

within (not comparable)

1. In or into the interior; inside.

Translations

Adjective

within (not comparable)

1. (law) In the context of which the present document or ruling is made.
   • 2013, Court of Appeal for Ontario, Malka v. Vasiliadis:

     As part of the within appeal the appellants brought a fresh evidence motion. Although the court did not specifically address the motion in its oral reasons dismissing the appeal, that motion was rejected by the court for the following reasons.