worthwhile
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Pronunciation
Etymology
It is a compound from English worth + while, from the older phrase “worth the while”, which Etymonline dates to the late 14th century.[2][3][4][5]
Earliest recorded meaning
Worth the time or effort spent: the OED, revising its entry in 2017, has a first example from 1565, in John Rastell's Replie against Jewel.[2] Merriam-Webster gives 1662[5] and Etymonline "by the 1660s".[3]
Semantic evolution
The words were long written separately, usually after a verb, as in "it is worth while";[4][3] the one-word form is recorded from the late 19th century,[3] and Dictionary.com dates it to 1865–70.[6] With the, it has been used as a noun for what is worthwhile, or the quality of being worthwhile, since 1848.[2]
Timeline
- late 14th century – worth the while.[3]
- 1565 – worth the time or effort.[2]
- 1662 – first use in Merriam-Webster.[5]
- 1848 – noun: the worthwhile.[2]
- late 19th century – written as one word.[3]
Modern meaning
Adjective
- Worth the time, money or effort spent; rewarding or useful: Learning a language is a worthwhile project.
Word family
- worthwhileness
Related words
References
- ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House