worthwhile English · revision 39961

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1565}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * UK: /ˌwɜː(ɹ)θˈwaɪl/, /ˌwɜː(ɹ)θˈʍaɪl/^(Wiktionary)

+ * US: /ˌwɝθˈwaɪl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound [[af|en|worth|while]], from the older phrase “worth the while”, which Etymonline dates to the late 14th century.^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==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.^(OED 2026) Merriam-Webster gives 1662^(MWU 2024) and Etymonline "by the 1660s".^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The words were long written separately, usually after a verb, as in "it is worth while";^(SOED 2002)^(Etymonline) the one-word form is recorded from the late 19th century,^(Etymonline) and Dictionary.com dates it to 1865–70.^(Dictionary.com 2016) With ''the'', it has been used as a noun for what is worthwhile, or the quality of being worthwhile, since 1848.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 14th century – ''worth the while''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1565 – worth the time or effort.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1662 – first use in Merriam-Webster.^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1848 – noun: ''the worthwhile''.^(OED 2026)

+ * late 19th century – written as one word.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Worth the time, money or [[effort]] spent; [[rewarding]] or useful: ''Learning a language is a worthwhile project.''^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[worthwhileness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[worth]]

+ * [[while]]

+ * [[worthy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}