meanwhile
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adv.at the same time that something else is happening, usually in a different place.
adv.occurring simultaneously with another event, often used to shift the narrative focus to a different location.
Simple“The chef was preparing the main course; meanwhile, the waiters were setting the tables.”
In context“The lead scientists monitored the data in the control room; meanwhile, the field team braved the storm to collect physical samples.”
UsageUsually placed at the beginning of a sentence to connect it to the previous one.
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
adv.during the time between now and a future event.
adv.during an intervening period of time; for the time being.
Simple“The bus doesn't arrive for twenty minutes; meanwhile, let's get a coffee.”
In context“The board will not reach a final decision until next month; meanwhile, the department must continue operating under the current budget.”
UsageOften used to describe a temporary action while waiting for a primary event.
Synonymsmeantimefor now - 03 C1 Advanced
n.the period of time between two events.
n.the intervening time or period between two specific events.
Simple“The movie starts at eight, so in the meanwhile, we can walk around the park.”
In context“The treaty was signed in June, but in the meanwhile, sporadic fighting continued along the border regions.”
UsageAlmost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in the meanwhile'.
Teacher's tipIn modern English, 'in the meantime' is much more common than 'in the meanwhile'.
From Middle English menewhile, equivalent to mean (“intermediate”) + while. Adverb is by ellipsis from in the mean while, noun being conventionally written as one word after the adjective.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.