upon waiting

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "upon waiting" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something occurs after a period of waiting or as a condition that follows waiting. Example: "Upon waiting for several hours, we finally received the news we had been anticipating."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

At the start of the campaign, as the book begins, Tomasky recounts his thoughts upon waiting for Clinton to show up at his magazine offices for her first sit-down interview with him.

The New York Times - Books

When the buffer is found empty upon a successful packet transmission, the vehicle can proactively undertake zeroth backoff, go to the idle state, and then attempt to transmit the next arriving packet upon waiting only for AIFSx,k.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Demographics, socio-economic position, and medical need were controlled for to determine the effect of choice and mobility upon waiting time.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

There was a net addition of five nephrologists in the Province between 2010 and 2012, which could have impacted upon wait times.

BMC Nephrology

"Then I was upon Tuesday waiting for four hours for a medical and had to go home because Huddersfield hadn't sorted the Butterfield side of things.

BBC

Ultimately, the decision for a patient to receive an SPK or receive a living donor kidney and consider a pancreas transplant at a later date is dependent upon the waiting time necessary to receive an SPK transplant.

Current Diabetes Reports

So he spends his days down at his Richmond-upon-Thames boathouse waiting for his next order - and watching the world go by.

BBC

"My generation is so regimented -- we went through school, got jobs," said Ms. Lack, who had a job waiting upon graduation from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997.

The New York Times

"The eyes of the world are upon us here waiting for signs that we are able to bridge our differences," he said.

The New York Times

It was July, and when I arrived at the café we'd agreed upon she was waiting — a textbook Parisienne with her coffee and her cigarettes and some great outfit, perched on a rattan stool.

The New Yorker

For an extra fee, travelers can have suitcases, golf clubs, skis or anything else they would check picked up at their doorsteps and have them waiting upon arrival at their destinations.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While grammatically correct, consider that "upon waiting" may sound slightly formal or archaic to some readers. Opt for "after waiting" for a more contemporary and widely accepted alternative.

Common error

Avoid using "in waiting" or "for waiting" when you mean "after waiting". "In waiting" describes a state of preparedness, not the action leading to a result. For example, say "After waiting for an hour, the bus finally arrived", not "In waiting for an hour..."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "upon waiting" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb or clause, indicating the temporal relationship between waiting and a subsequent event. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct, though it is relatively uncommon in contemporary usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

67%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "upon waiting" is grammatically sound, Ludwig AI indicates it is not as common as alternatives like "after waiting". The phrase functions as a prepositional phrase to establish a temporal relationship. Its register tends to be more formal, making it suitable for news and scientific contexts. Considering more common alternatives ensures clarity and broader acceptance in contemporary writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

after waiting

Replaces "upon" with "after", a more common preposition indicating sequence.

after the wait

Simple replacement of the gerund with a noun.

following a wait

Uses a noun phrase "a wait" instead of the gerund "waiting", maintaining the sense of temporal succession.

after a period of waiting

Adds emphasis to the duration of the waiting time.

on waiting

A less common but grammatically valid alternative using the preposition "on".

once having waited

Formal and emphasizes the completion of the waiting action before something else occurs.

subsequent to waiting

A more formal alternative using "subsequent to" to indicate what follows the waiting.

in the wake of waiting

Implies that what follows is a consequence of the waiting period.

as a result of waiting

Focuses on the causal relationship between waiting and the subsequent event.

consequent to waiting

A less common, more formal way to express a result of waiting.

FAQs

What is the difference between "upon waiting" and "after waiting"?

Both "upon waiting" and "after waiting" indicate a sequence of events, where something happens following a period of waiting. "After waiting" is more common and contemporary, while "upon waiting" can sound more formal or archaic. In most contexts, "after waiting" is preferable for its simplicity and wider acceptance.

What can I say instead of "upon waiting" to sound more modern?

You can use alternatives such as "after waiting", "following the wait", or "after a period of waiting" depending on the desired level of formality and emphasis.

Is "upon waiting" grammatically incorrect?

No, "upon waiting" is not grammatically incorrect. It's a valid phrase, although it's less frequently used in modern English compared to alternatives like "after waiting". Its relative infrequency may cause it to sound formal or archaic to some readers.

How to use "upon waiting" in a sentence?

You can use "upon waiting" to indicate something that happens as a consequence or immediately following a period of waiting. For example: "Upon waiting for several hours, they decided to leave".