worthwhileadj.n.

Brit.

/ˌwəːθˈwʌɪl/, U.S.

/ˌwərθˈ(h)waɪl/,

/ˈwərθˌ(h)waɪl/

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: worth adj., while n.

Etymology: < worth adj. + while n. Compare earlier worth the while at while n. 3b.

A. adj.

Worth the time or effort spent; of (sufficient) value or importance.The compound adjective worthwhile developed from the collocation worth while (i.e. ‘worth the time spent’: see worth adj. 9a and while n. 3); early predicative examples probably represent this collocation.

ΘΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > [adjective] > worthwhile

worthc1405

substantial?a1425

worthwhile1565

rewarding1570

tantia1593

1565 J. Rastell Replie Def. Truth f. 171 But how wise you proue your selfe therein, it is worthwhile to consider.

1565 N. Sanders Supper of Our Lord ii. ii. f. 44 Whether mise and dogges maie in some sense eate the body of Christ or no, it is not worth while to discusse.

1662 E. Stillingfleet Origines Sacræ iii. i. §18 It had not been worth while for the soul to have been in the body.

1686 J. Goad Astro-meteorologica ii. xii. 321 'Tis a question worth while, adds he, how they can exsiccate.

1710 D. Hilman Tusser Redivivus June 4 There are some odd things that it is hardly worthwhile to provide ones self with.

1741 S. Richardson Pamela IV. xvii. 116 No, indeed; it i'n't worth while.

1827 Lancet 6 Jan. 434/2 It is not worth while bothering one's self about the actions of these muscles.

1883 Work & Leisure Feb. 57 If any one of us so acts as to persuade one man or woman to live a perfectly temperate life, that one will have lived a worth-while life!

1912 World 7 May 677/1 He has..scarcely any worthwhile reversionary interests.

1927 Publishers' Circular 30 Apr. 487/3 Each book is offered as a book particularly worth-while in the judgment of the Board of Editors.

1947 J. Tinbergen in S. E. Harris New Economics 219 It seems worth while to consider the many-sided contributions made to economic thought by John Maynard Keynes from the angle of the econometrician.

1971 Radio Times 19 Aug. 47/2 People who're doing something worthwhile but aren't getting any exposure for it.

1996 Independent 16 Jan. 1/3 A lot of funding has gone into very worthwhile causes.

B. n.

With the: that which is worthwhile. Also: the quality of being worthwhile.

ΘΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > [noun] > advantage, purpose, or worthwhileness

goodeOE

worthwhile1848

worthwhileness1884

point1899

rewardingness1931

1848 Examiner 2 Dec. 769/1 Had fortune placed his lot where labour is the habit, instead of the question of the worth-while, he would have added to the many brilliant examples so eloquently described in the lines of Savage.

1866 A. D. Whitney Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite's Life ii, in Our Young People Feb. 110 How did the world seem to such a person, and where was the worth-while of it?

1899 Westm. Gaz. 3 Aug. 2/1 The pursuit of the worth-while.

1983 C. Ozick Cannibal Galaxy (1984) 46 She distinguished between the worthwhile and the worthless.

2004 J. Matz Mod. Novel iii. 49 The mind posed against society's definitions of the good, the heroical, the worthwhile, is more likely to be right, exciting, and interesting.

Derivatives

ˌworthˈwhileness n. the extent to which something is worthwhile; the quality of being worthwhile.

ΘΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > [noun] > advantage, purpose, or worthwhileness

goodeOE

worthwhile1848

worthwhileness1884

point1899

rewardingness1931

1884 Birmingham Weekly Post 18 Oct. 5/1 The worth-whileness of forming a local portrait gallery.

1904 B. von Hutten Pam 128 If something does present itself to you in the light of worth-whileness, nothing can stop you.

2006 Vanity Fair Mar. 190/2 Historians and critics will never stop arguing about the worthwhileness of it all.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	worthwhile
释义	worthwhileadj.n. Brit. /ˌwəːθˈwʌɪl/, U.S. /ˌwərθˈ(h)waɪl/, /ˈwərθˌ(h)waɪl/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: worth adj., while n. Etymology: < worth adj. + while n. Compare earlier worth the while at while n. 3b. A. adj. Worth the time or effort spent; of (sufficient) value or importance.The compound adjective worthwhile developed from the collocation worth while (i.e. ‘worth the time spent’: see worth adj. 9a and while n. 3); early predicative examples probably represent this collocation. ΘΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > [adjective] > worthwhile worthc1405 substantial?a1425 worthwhile1565 rewarding1570 tantia1593 1565 J. Rastell Replie Def. Truth f. 171 But how wise you proue your selfe therein, it is worthwhile to consider. 1565 N. Sanders Supper of Our Lord ii. ii. f. 44 Whether mise and dogges maie in some sense eate the body of Christ or no, it is not worth while to discusse. 1662 E. Stillingfleet Origines Sacræ iii. i. §18 It had not been worth while for the soul to have been in the body. 1686 J. Goad Astro-meteorologica ii. xii. 321 'Tis a question worth while, adds he, how they can exsiccate. 1710 D. Hilman Tusser Redivivus June 4 There are some odd things that it is hardly worthwhile to provide ones self with. 1741 S. Richardson Pamela IV. xvii. 116 No, indeed; it i'n't worth while. 1827 Lancet 6 Jan. 434/2 It is not worth while bothering one's self about the actions of these muscles. 1883 Work & Leisure Feb. 57 If any one of us so acts as to persuade one man or woman to live a perfectly temperate life, that one will have lived a worth-while life! 1912 World 7 May 677/1 He has..scarcely any worthwhile reversionary interests. 1927 Publishers' Circular 30 Apr. 487/3 Each book is offered as a book particularly worth-while in the judgment of the Board of Editors. 1947 J. Tinbergen in S. E. Harris New Economics 219 It seems worth while to consider the many-sided contributions made to economic thought by John Maynard Keynes from the angle of the econometrician. 1971 Radio Times 19 Aug. 47/2 People who're doing something worthwhile but aren't getting any exposure for it. 1996 Independent 16 Jan. 1/3 A lot of funding has gone into very worthwhile causes. B. n. With the: that which is worthwhile. Also: the quality of being worthwhile. ΘΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > [noun] > advantage, purpose, or worthwhileness goodeOE worthwhile1848 worthwhileness1884 point1899 rewardingness1931 1848 Examiner 2 Dec. 769/1 Had fortune placed his lot where labour is the habit, instead of the question of the worth-while, he would have added to the many brilliant examples so eloquently described in the lines of Savage. 1866 A. D. Whitney Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite's Life ii, in Our Young People Feb. 110 How did the world seem to such a person, and where was the worth-while of it? 1899 Westm. Gaz. 3 Aug. 2/1 The pursuit of the worth-while. 1983 C. Ozick Cannibal Galaxy (1984) 46 She distinguished between the worthwhile and the worthless. 2004 J. Matz Mod. Novel iii. 49 The mind posed against society's definitions of the good, the heroical, the worthwhile, is more likely to be right, exciting, and interesting. Derivatives ˌworthˈwhileness n. the extent to which something is worthwhile; the quality of being worthwhile. ΘΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > [noun] > advantage, purpose, or worthwhileness goodeOE worthwhile1848 worthwhileness1884 point1899 rewardingness1931 1884 Birmingham Weekly Post 18 Oct. 5/1 The worth-whileness of forming a local portrait gallery. 1904 B. von Hutten Pam 128 If something does present itself to you in the light of worth-whileness, nothing can stop you. 2006 Vanity Fair Mar. 190/2 Historians and critics will never stop arguing about the worthwhileness of it all. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < adj.n.1565
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