when

Alternative forms

• wen (eye dialect)

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: hwĕn, wĕn, IPA: /ʍɛn/, /wɛn/
  • (pin–pen merger) IPA: /ʍɪn/, /wɪn/
• (Ireland, Scotland) enPR: hwĕn, IPA: /ʍɛn/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: wĕn, IPA: /wɛn/
• Homophone: wen (in accents with the wine-whine merger), win (in accents with the wine–whine merger and the pin–pen merger)

Adverb

when (not comparable)

1. (interrogative) At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.
   • When will they arrive?
   • Do you know when they arrived?
   • I don't know when they arrived.
   • When they arrived is unknown.
2. At an earlier time and under different, usually less favorable, circumstances.
   • He's mister high and mighty now, but I remember him when.
3. (relative) At which, on which, during which: often omitted or replaced with that.
   • That was the day when the Twin Towers fell.
4. (fused relative) The time at, on or during which.
   • I recall when they were called the Greys.
   • Next year is when we elect a new mayor.
5. (informal, in definitions or explanations) A circumstance or situation in which.
   • Love is when you can't get enough of someone.

Conjunction

when

1. At (or as soon as) that time that; at the (or any and every) time that; if.
   • Pavlov's dogs salivate when [i.e. at any and every time that] they hear a bell.
   • Put your pencil down when [i.e. as soon as, at the moment that] the timer goes off.
   • A player wins when [as soon as, or at any time that, if] she has four cards of the same suit.
   • A student is disqualified when [as soon as, if] they cheat.
2. During the time that; at the time of the action of the following clause or participle phrase.
   • They dream when [i.e. during the time that] they sleep.
   • I'm happiest when [during the time that, or at any time that] I’m working.
   • It was raining when I came yesterday.
   • The game is over when the referee says it is.
   • Be careful when crossing the street.
   • When (you are) angry, count to ten before speaking or acting.
3. At what time; at which time.
   • I am here till Friday, when [i.e. at which time] I leave for Senegal.
   • I was just walking down the street, when [i.e. at which time] all of a sudden it started to rain.
4. Since; given the fact that; considering that.
   • I don't see the point of putting up Christmas decorations when I am the only person who is going to see them.
5. Whereas; although; at the same time as; in spite of the fact that.
   • You're picking at your scabs when you should be letting them heal.
   • He keeps changing things when the existing system works perfectly well.

Pronoun

when

1. (interrogative) What time; which time.
   • Since when do I need your permission?

Noun

when (plural whens)

1. The time at which something happens.
   • A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how.

Interjection

when

1. (often humorous) That's enough: a command asking someone to stop adding something, especially an ingredient or portion of food or drink; used in, or as if in, literal response to 'Say when'.
2. (obsolete) Expressing impatience. (Compare what.)

Anagrams

• hewn

Adverb

when

1. Alternative form of whenne

Conjunction

when

1. Alternative form of whenne

Verb

when

1. Alternative form of winnen (“to win”)