Meanings
nounwhile loop (plural while loops)
plural while loops
- computingA section of computer code in which an instruction or group of instructions is repeated only while a certain condition continues to be met.
Origin
From the keyword while used in many programming languages for this purpose.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese while迴圈 /while回圈
- while迴圈 /while回圈 (while wui⁴ hyun¹)section of code
Chinese Mandarin while循環 /while循环, while迴圈 /while回圈
- while循環 /while循环 (while xúnhuán)section of code
- while迴圈 /while回圈 (huíquān)section of code
Danish while-loop, while-løkke
- while-loopsection of code
- while-løkkesection of code
French boucle while
- boucle whilesection of code
German while-Schleife
- while-Schleifesection of code
Spanish bucle mientras, bucle while
- bucle mientrassection of code
- bucle whilesection of code
Cite this entry
APA
while loop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/while%20loop
MLA
“while loop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/while%20loop. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “while loop,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/while%20loop.
Source: while loop on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.