when's

[ hwenz, wenz ]

/ ʰwɛnz, wɛnz /

contraction of when is: When's the show over?

contraction of when does: When's the next train leave?

contraction of when has: When's he ever been an authority?

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!

Question 1 of 7

anchorite

a granular metamorphic rock.

a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.

a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

usage note for when's

See contraction.

Words nearby when's

when the going gets tough, the tough get going, when the shit hits the fan, when'd, when'll, when're, when's, when've, when-issued, whenas, whence, whencesoever

Definition for when's (2 of 2)

when

[ hwen, wen; unstressed hwuh n, wuh n ]

/ ʰwɛn, wɛn; unstressed ʰwən, wən /

adverb

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

when whencewen when

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for when's

when

/ (wɛn) /

adverb

at what time? over what period?when is he due?
(used in indirect questions)ask him when he's due

say when to 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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with when's

when

In addition to the idioms beginning with when

when all's said and done
when in Rome do as the Romans do
when it comes to
when least expected
when one's back is turned
when one's ship comes in
when pigs fly
when the cat's away, the mice will play
when the chips are down
when the dust has settled
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
when the shit hits the fan

also see:

cross a bridge when one comes to it
push comes to shove, when

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

when's

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

usage note for when's

Words nearby when's

Definition for when's (2 of 2)

adverb

conjunction

pronoun

noun

Origin of when

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH when

British Dictionary definitions for when's

adverb

noun

Word Origin for when

usage for when

Idioms and Phrases with when's