different between whilst vs however

English

Alternative forms

• whilest (obsolete)
• whylst (obsolete)
• whylest (obsolete)

Etymology

From whiles +? -t. Surface analysis while +? -st (“excrescence”). Cognate with West Frisian wylst (“whilst”). More at whiles.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wa?lst/, /hwa?lst/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /w??lst/

Conjunction

whilst

1. (Britain, rare or literary in North America) While, at the same time.

   Synonyms: while; see also Thesaurus:while

Usage notes

In American English, whilst is considered to be pretentious or archaic. Penguin Working Words recommends while only, and notes that whilst is old-fashioned. Cambridge Guide to English Usage and M-W's Webster's Guide to English Usage comment on its regional character, and note that it is rare in American usage. It is thus safer to use only while in international English. The American Heritage Guide writes that, "while using whilst runs the risk of sounding pretentious, it can sometimes add a literary or ironically formal note to a piece of writing".

Translations

Further reading

• while on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• whilst in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “whilst”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “whilst”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

English

Etymology

From Middle English however, how-ever, how-evere, equivalent to how +? ever. Compare also Middle English how-as-evere and howsoevere, how-so-evere (“howsoever”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /h????v?/
• (US) enPR: hou?v??r, IPA^(key): /ha???v?/
• (NYC) IPA^(key): /h?w?v?/
• Rhymes: -?v?(r)
• Hyphenation: how?ev?er

Adverb

however (not comparable)

1. Nevertheless; yet, still; in spite of (that).

   She wanted to go; however, she decided against it.
2. (degree) To whatever degree or extent
3. (manner) In whatever way or manner.
4. An emphatic form of how.

   However were you able to do it?

5. (obsolete) In any case, at any rate, at all events.
   • c. 1680, John Tillotson:

     Our chief end and highest interest is happiness : And this is happiness to be freed from all (if it may) [or] however from the greatest evils.

Synonyms

• (nevertheless): nonetheless, notwithstanding, that said, still and all; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
• (to whatever degree): ad lib, howsoever, howso
• (emphatic howin whatever manner): anyhow, howsoever, howso
• (emphatic how): how + the dickens (see Thesaurus:the dickens)
• (in any case): after all, anyway; see also Thesaurus:regardless

Translations

Conjunction

however

1. In whatever way or manner.

   she offered to help however she could

2. (proscribed) Although, though, but, yet.

Usage notes

• Both conjunctive uses of "however" are identical to adverbial uses except in punctuation (when written) and in prosody (when spoken). Hence, the following proscribed sentence:

  is equivalent to the following accepted one:

  which can also be written in two sentences::

  they are functionally equivalent to:

  • He told me not to do it, but I did it.
• In particular, when used as a conjunction in this sense, however always appears between the clauses it connects; it does not introduce a subordinate clause that can be moved to the start of an independent clause, but simply coordinates two independent clauses.

References

• however in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “however” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "however (degree)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• "however (despite)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• "however (way)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• “however”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)

Anagrams

• everwho, whoever