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meantime
/ ˈmiːnˌtaɪm /
noun
- the intervening time or period, as between events (esp in the phrase in the meantime )
adverb
- another word for meanwhile
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
In the meantime, smoking -- a well-established risk factor for kidney cancer -- has continued to decline.
In the meantime a special law could be passed carrying the 2024 budget into 2025, so that civil servants are paid and hospitals meet their heating bills.
In the meantime it will set up a a new interim executive committee, led by the firm's chairperson John Elkann.
In the meantime, the commission said, the Sheriff’s Department and other agencies “should be doing their due diligence on checking who their instructors are and if there are prior incidents.”
The search is expected to last up to a fortnight, with the centre and surrounding area closed to the public in the meantime.
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Related Words
More About Meantime
What does meantime mean?
Meantime means the period of time between two events—between the current time and the time when something else happens.
This sense of the word is especially used in the phrase in the meantime, as in The power will come back on soon, so let’s just enjoy the quiet in the meantime.
The word meanwhile can also be used as a noun to mean the same thing as meantime, but this is much less common.
Meanwhile is much more commonly used as an adverb meaning in or during the time between the current time and the time when something else happens, as in Our guests will arrive in about an hour—meanwhile, let’s get the food ready. Meanwhile can also mean at the same time, as in When I got to my apartment, I realized I had forgotten my key—meanwhile, everyone was already hiding inside for my surprise party.
Meantime can also be used as an adverb in both of these ways, but it is much more commonly used as a noun.
Example: Our guests won’t arrive for another several hours, so I’m going to take a nap in the meantime.
Where does meantime come from?
The first records of meantime come from the 1300s. The mean in meantime is the sense of the word that means “occupying a middle position or an intermediate place.”
Meantime is often used in discussions that involve things happening or being done while waiting for something else to happen. It’s also commonly used in descriptions of events happening at the same time.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for meantime?
- meanwhile
- concurrently
- simultaneously
- at the same time
What are some words that share a root or word element with meantime?
What are some words that often get used in discussing meantime?
How is meantime used in real life?
Meantime is a very common word that can be used in all kinds of contexts. It’s especially used in the phrase in the meantime.
TypeScript 4.2 is so close! In the meantime, we've just published our Release Candidate!
Try the RC today and let us know how better type display, faster inference, and other new features work for you! https://t.co/gqNpw7H2q0
— TypeScript (@typescript) February 11, 2021
I can’t wait to see a bit of countryside, but in the meantime I’m grateful for Leicester’s marvellous parks and the beautiful blue sky this morning. #leicester pic.twitter.com/7OlghI4JMP
— Lucy Phillips 💙 (@lucy_r_p) February 11, 2021
In this morning's public hearings of the Victorian Electoral Matters Committee Inquiry we've heard from fact-checking organisations @ABCFactCheck and @AapFactcheck. See hearing transcripts in 3 – 4 weeks at https://t.co/wqxLXTLcqv Meantime, they're both worth following. #SpringSt
— Tim Read (@TimRRead) February 15, 2021
Try using meantime!
Is meantime used correctly in the following sentence?
My younger sister just got engaged—meantime, I can’t even get a date!
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