meanwhile
English · Thesaurus
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
meanwhile
- /ˈmiːnwaɪl/
- /ˈmiːnʍaɪl/
Where it comes from
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.
noun meanwhiles
-
The time between two events.
In the meanwhile, the surveyors carried the line three miles, which was no contemptible day's work, considering how cruelly they were entangled with briers and gallbushes.
Similar: between-time, meantime
adverb
-
During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place.
There was a party going on downstairs. Meanwhile, I was reading a book.
Similar: in the meantime, meantime, meanwhilst, the while
-
During an intervening time; from now until a future time.
We’re going on holiday next month; meanwhile, keep working on the project.
Similar: meantime, until then, for now
-
In contrast to aspects previously mentioned.
Some songs on the album are beautiful. Meanwhile, others are quite forgettable.
Similar: at the same time, on the other hand
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: meantime, while, there, interim, alternatively, secondly, elsewhere, whilst, whereas, currently, furthermore, now, besides, moreover, additionally, also
Translations
Every language
adv during the time something is happening
| Español | mientras tanto |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 同時 /同时 tóngshí |
| Português | ao mesmo tempo, simultaneamente |
| Français | pendant ce temps-là, entretemps, en attendant |
| Deutsch | währenddessen, inzwischen, derweil, einstweilen |
| Italiano | intanto, nel frattempo, nel contempo, nel tempo stesso |
| Ελληνικά | εν τω μεταξύ en to metaxý |
| Română | între timp |
| Русский | в э́то вре́мя v éto vrémja, в то́ же вре́мя v tó že vrémja |
| العربية | أَمَّا ʔammā |
adv during the intervening time
| Español | mientras tanto, entretanto, a todo esto, a todas estas |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | その間に sono aida ni |
| 中文 | 與此同時 /与此同时 yǔcǐtóngshí |
| Português | enquanto isso, entretanto |
| Français | pendant ce temps-là |
| Deutsch | währenddessen, unterdessen, in der Zwischenzeit, zwischenzeitlich, inzwischen |
| Italiano | intanto, nel frattempo, nel contempo, nel tempo stesso |
| Ελληνικά | εν τω μεταξύ en to metaxý |
| Русский | тем вре́менем tem vrémenem, ме́жду тем méždu tem |
| العربية | إِلَى حِينِ ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ فِي الأَثْنَاءِ ʔilā ḥīni ḏalika al-waqti |
| עברית | בינתיים beintáyim |
adv in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
| Português | no entanto |
|---|---|
| العربية | فِي حِينِ أَنَّ fī ḥīni ʔanna |
Talk about this word "meanwhile." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/meanwhile. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. meanwhile. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/meanwhile "meanwhile." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/meanwhile.Cite this
@misc{meanwhile_2026,
title = {meanwhile},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/meanwhile},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
