meantime

1 of 3

noun (1)

mean·​time ˈmēn-ˌtīm 

: 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 interests …

—H. 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

Did you know?

Meantime vs. Meanwhile

Meantime and meanwhile have both been used as nouns in prepositional phrases like "in the meantime/meanwhile" since their earliest use in the 1300s. Both have been used as adverbs, like in "meanwhile/meantime, down at the farm…," since the late 1500s. They've been interchangeable for pretty much all of their long histories. But that doesn't mean they don't each have their favorite territory.

Meantime is the one that's usually used as a noun—that is, as the object of the preposition in phrases like "in the meantime" and "for the meantime":

We're headed to the beach this afternoon. In the meantime, I'm going to the grocery store.

And meanwhile is the usual choice for the role of adverb:

The kids are excited about the beach. Meanwhile, someone has to think about dinner.

But you'll see and hear examples that are counter to these generalizations, like the following:

In the meanwhile, someone should find the beach towels.

The baby is napping. Meantime, the older kids are looking for beach toys.

"In the meanwhile" has been accused of being "unidiomatic" (i.e. of sounding weird), but it isn't so unidiomatic that native speakers instinctively avoid it. If you use it, there's no reason you should stop.

But if you want to use this pair in the ways they're most often used and need help remembering which goes where, you can think of this sentence:

In the time it takes to say "in the meantime," you could just as well say "meanwhile."

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

In the meantime, Anthropic is in talks with investors to raise money at a $900 billion valuation. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 23 May 2026

In the meantime, a team of experts from across the county, state and country was assembled. —Sean Emery, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026

Adverb

Adobe, meantime, predicts that consumers will spend more than $10 billion online during the three-day period (May 23-25), which represents a 6% bump over 2025. —Tim Chan, Footwear News, 22 May 2026

The Knicks, meantime, have been able to rest OG Anunoby (hamstring) and Josh Hart (thumb). —Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

Noun

But in the mean time, this spacecraft has been keeping us entertained. —Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 20 May 2026

Autonomic systems introduce a more intelligent operating model, reducing mean time to resolution, improving uptime, and allowing IT teams to operate with the efficiency of much larger organizations. —Rajat Bhargava, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing meantime

• for the meantime
• in the meantime

Rhymes for meantime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• nighttime
• noontime

Kids Definition

meantime

1 of 2 noun

mean·​time ˈmēn-ˌtīm 

: the time between two events

meantime

2 of 2 adverb

: in the meantime