at what time or period? how long ago? how soon?: When are they to arrive? When did the Roman Empire exist?
under what circumstances? upon what occasion?: When is a letter of condolence in order? When did you ever see such a crowd?
conjunction
at what time: to know when to be silent.
at the time or in the event that: when we were young; when the noise stops.
at any time; whenever: He is impatient when he is kept waiting.
upon or after which; and then: We had just fallen asleep when the bell rang.
while on the contrary; considering that; whereas: Why are you here when you should be in school?
pronoun
what time: Till when is the store open?
which time: They left on Monday, since when we have heard nothing.
noun
the time of anything: the when and the where of an act.
Origin of when
before 1000; Middle English when(ne), Old English hwenne; cognate with German wann when, wenn if, when (compare Gothic hwan when, how); akin to who, what
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH when
1. when , whence2. wen, when
Words nearby when
whelk, whelked, whelm, whelp, whelping ice, when, when all's said and done, whenas, whence, whencesoever, when'd
say whento state when an action is to be stopped or begun, as when someone is pouring a drink
(subordinating)at a time at which; at the time at which; just as; afterI found it easily when I started to look seriously
althoughhe drives when he might walk
considering the fact thathow did you pass the exam when you'd not worked for it?
at which (time); over which (period)an age when men were men
noun
(usually plural)a question as to the time of some occurrence
Word Origin for when
Old English hwanne, hwænne; related to Old High German hwanne, hwenne, Latin cum
usage for when
When should not be used loosely as a substitute for in which after a noun which does not refer to a period of time: paralysis is a condition in which (not when) parts of the body cannot be moved
What Are The 100 Most Common Words In English?The words we've compiled here probably look familiar: they are the 100 most frequently written words in the English language. As an added bonus, we have some helpful suggestions for more interesting synonyms (or words with similar meanings) that you might want to try instead.
READ MORE
Words related to when
albeit, although, at, during, meanwhile, whereas, while, at the same time, howbeit, just as, much as