ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the meantime

idiom
Meaning

the period of time between two events. You use this when you are waiting for something to happen and you do something else during that wait.


Examples
SIMPLE

I will cook dinner in the meantime.

CONTEXTUAL

The train is delayed by an hour, so we can grab a coffee in the meantime.

COMPLEX

While the committee deliberates on the final policy, the staff will continue their current projects in the meantime to ensure no progress is lost.

Last updated April 22, 2026