meantime

1 of 3

noun (1)

mean·​time ˈmēn-ˌtīm How to pronounce meantime (audio)
: the time before something happens or before a specified period ends
The new computers won't arrive until next week, but we can continue to use the old ones in the meantime.

meantime

2 of 3

adverb

: meanwhile entry 2
meantime he had been attentive to his other interestsH. R. Warfel

mean time

3 of 3

noun (2)

: time that is based on the motion of the theoretical mean sun
To find local mean time, determine how many degrees of longitude you are from your time-zone standard. (Find your longitude on a map.) Multiply this number by four to get your correction in minutes. If you are east of the standard longitude your correction is a positive number; if you are west it is negative. Apply the correction to standard time to get your local mean time.Sky & Telescope

called also mean solar time

Examples of meantime in a Sentence

Adverb He can come back to work when he's feeling better. Meantime, he should be resting as much as possible.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But red tape means that builders are unlikely to start on site for at least another year and joint venture landlords Ballymore and Hammerson, plus the local civic authorities are all supportive of Boxpark continuing to trade in the meantime. Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024 But an emergency cut in the meantime is unlikely: The Fed has taken such drastic action only a few times in its history — and only in the most dire of economic moments. Joel Mathis, theweek, 12 Aug. 2024
Adverb
Some charger companies’ executives, meantime, have grown rich with state support, doing equity deals and buying fancy houses, even as their companies failed to perform and lost money. Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024 The box, meantime, is specially-designed for this release, with iconography and lyrics from each song displayed throughout the packaging. Tim Chan, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024
Noun
When issues arise, generative AI quickly identifies the root cause and suggests predefined automation procedures for remediation, reducing mean time to recovery (MTTR). Dave Link, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 In the mean time, Szczygielski was forced to tear down the house, after discovering issues with asbestos and a bee infestation. Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meantime 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meantime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

circa 1593, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1751, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meantime was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near meantime

Cite this Entry

“Meantime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meantime. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

meantime

1 of 2 noun
mean·​time ˈmēn-ˌtīm How to pronounce meantime (audio)
: the time between two events

meantime

2 of 2 adverb
: in the meantime

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