Words / B2

MEENT-ym/ˈmiːntaɪm/

Meantime is the period between two events, almost always in the meantime: in the meantime, lock the cupboard. Meanwhile is the adverb twin (already in the dictionary). Use it for a holding action. Mix-up: meanwhile vs meantime — meanwhile often starts a sentence about something else happening. Do not write “in the meanwhile” in formal work.

Meaning

The period between two events (in the meantime).

Examples

• “In the meantime, lock the cupboard; the key audit is Friday.”
• “The bus was late; in the meantime they revised the quote, which is the waiting-period sense.”

Good to know

in the meantime. Adverb twin: meanwhile. Trap: “in the meanwhile”. Notices, methods, and news. The gap between events, not a mood.

Near in meaning

meanwhile

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