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Definition of when

when

/wɛn/
when

Plural:whens
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when Lexical Profile

when Game Scores & Validity

• adverb

1

At what time; on what occasion or under what circumstances (used to introduce a direct or indirect question).

Example

"When did the university first establish its department of astronomy?"


2

At or during which time (used as a relative adverb to introduce a clause modifying a noun of time).

Example

"Sunday is the only day of the week when the museum offers free admission."

• conjunction

1

At or during the time that; while.

Example

"She was studying in Madrid when she first learned to speak fluent Spanish."


2

After which; and just then; as soon as.

Example

"Call the office when you arrive at the train station."


3

At any time that; whenever.

Example

"Plants grow rapidly when they receive adequate sunlight and water."


4

In view of the fact that; considering that.

Example

"How can we finalize the budget when we still lack the third-quarter figures?"


5

Although; whereas (used to indicate a contrast or unexpectedness).

Example

"They decided to walk home when they could have easily taken the bus."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• pronoun

1

What time; which time (typically used as the object of a preposition).

Example

"Until when do we have to submit our completed grant proposals?"

• noun

1

The time, date, or occasion of an event.

Example

"The committee has agreed on the where and the how of the conference, but not yet the when."

Synonyms
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• Rhymes for when

Word Origin & Etymology

From Old English hwanne, hwenne, derived from Proto-Germanic *hwanē, an interrogative adverbial stem from the Proto-Indo-European root *kwo- (the stem of relative and interrogative pronouns).

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of When. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/when
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