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I got into a small argument with a friend, and couldn't find a conclusive answer.

Is the sentence "The waiting is over" legitimate? Is it more commonly used as "The wait is over"?

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"The wait" refers to the period of time you spend waiting, or to the whole duration of the waiting as a single activity, whereas "the waiting" refers to the activity of waiting itself.

They are both legitimate; which one is most used would depend on the context.

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  • This is correct. I think I'd go for "wait" if it was a predetermined waiting period - for example, if you knew you had to wait two weeks, once that time is up, the wait is over. If you were waiting without an end in view then I'd probably prefer "waiting".
    – Astralbee
    Jul 15, 2020 at 12:41

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