About the adverb "whilst"

Question

I looked it up. It means "while" and is used mostly in Britain. Could anyone explain to me how to use it?

Answer 1

It is not an adverb: it's a conjunction.

It can be used instead of "while" (as a conjunction only) in any sentence. It'll sound perfectly natural in Britain; it might come across as snobbish, pretentious, or humorous, depending on one's inflection, facial expression, and body language, outside of Britain (with the possible exception of Australia).

Answer 2

Typically, whilst is the older form of while. In usage, it tends to be the past tense "he touched his nose whilst patting his head". The olde english / reverential prose would be "If thou wouldst remain here whilst one changes one's raiment, one shall be but a moment"