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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Here's where things stand in the meantime. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025 What borrowers can do in the meantime The hold on IBR discharges shouldn’t impact student loan borrowers who are still years away from debt forgiveness, experts said. Annie Nova, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
Adverb
And meantime, even ahead of iOS 26, heed Apple’s warning and do not reply to unknown senders. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025 The Padres, meantime, displayed a pair of healthy, above-average closers Thursday in Suarez and Miller. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
In the mean time, the scientists would be out of funding, with dire consequences. John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025 In the mean time, read about Samsung's latest smartwatches. PC Magazine, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for meantime

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Meantime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meantime. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on meantime

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