meanwhile

noun mean·while \ ˈmēn-ˌhwī(-ə)l , -ˌwī(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 26 Jul 2018

Examples: meanwhile in a Sentence

Editor's Note: meantime vs. meanwhile

Definition of meanwhile

: the time before something happens or before a specified period ends : meantime

in the meanwhile colleges and universities have become somewhere near one hundred times more complex
—Dennis O'Brien

See meanwhile defined for English-language learners

See meanwhile defined for kids

Recent Examples of meanwhile from the Web

In the meanwhile, Mattarella has appointed a technocratic, pro-austerity interim government—a move that only plays into the hands of the frustrated League and 5Star Movement parties, who now get to whip up more anti-establishment sentiment.

— alan murray, Fortune, "Italian Turmoil, Spanish Turmoil, North Korea: CEO Daily for May 29, 2018," 29 May 2018
The shares of other game makers have wobbled in the meanwhile.

— christopher palmeri, chicagotribune.com, "Millions of women will make Fortnite a billion-dollar game," 29 May 2018
In the meanwhile there are scenes to be shot for Daniels down in Atlanta, parties to attend, vacations to take.

— danielle stein chizzik, Town & Country, "Naomi Campbell Just Keeps Getting Better," 2 Feb. 2017
In the meanwhile, her husband brought the case to the Supreme Court to appeal the decision.

— steve george, CNN, "India's top court upholds interfaith marriage, in alleged case of 'love jihad'," 11 Apr. 2018
In the meanwhile, a quiz show blares away on the hospice television.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "My Lai massacre, 50 years later: Jonathan Berger's opera captures the madness," 12 Mar. 2018
In the meanwhile, many companies are already investing in UAV technology, including Amazon, Aeryon Labs, the startup Skycatch and, through its acquisition of Titan Aerospace, Google.

— gabrielle jonas, Newsweek, "Where Have All the Good Jobs Gone? Ask a Robot.," 30 Nov. 2014
So the rumor mill and debates will continue in the meanwhile.

— ryan young, ajc, "Checking in on Florida’s rumored coaching candidates and how they fared this weekend," 5 Nov. 2017
In the meanwhile, a lot of regulations in the US are being reversed.

— mary wang, Vogue, "Gloria Steinem's Advice for The Next Generation of Feminists Is a Must-Read for Our Time," 13 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meanwhile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of meanwhile

14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

meanwhile

adverb

Definition of meanwhile

1 : during the intervening time

meanwhile, however, new projects are being undertaken this year
—Jonathan Eberhart

2 : at the same time

You can set the table, and meanwhile I'll start cooking dinner.

See meanwhile defined for English-language learners

Examples of meanwhile in a Sentence

You can set the table. Meanwhile, I'll start making dinner.
She spent four years studying for her law degree. Meanwhile, she continued to work at the bank.
He can come back to work when he's feeling better, but meanwhile he should be resting as much as possible.

Recent Examples of meanwhile from the Web

Leaders from Stockton and San Bernardino, Calif., meanwhile, are interested in developing a ministry to help farmworkers who have struggled with labor rights, Segura said.

— vikki ortiz, chicagotribune.com, "'Chicago is the lighthouse': Local Catholic leaders take the lead in supporting immigrants," 13 July 2018
The Chinese industry's highest-grossing film in North America last year was Wolf Warrior 2 with $2.7 million in sale; Hollywood's biggest movie in China, meanwhile, was Universal's The Fate of the Furious with $392.8 million.

— patrick brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, "Will Hollywood Get Caught in Trump's China Trade War Crossfire?," 13 July 2018
The Dolphins, meanwhile, are close to getting back on the football field.

— jordan mcpherson, miamiherald, "What would Miami Dolphins-themed soccer kits look like? Here’s a look," 13 July 2018
Teater, meanwhile, was the winner of the 2009 Utah Championship on the Web.com Tour and played on the PGA Tour during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

— gabe hauari, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville grad among 5 local golfers to play at Barbasol Championship," 10 July 2018
Kate Middleton, meanwhile, matched her outfit to Prince Louis's christening gown (the same one that Princess Charlotte and Prince George wore for their big debuts in the Church of England) in a white Alexander McQueen dress and fascinator.

— zoe weiner, Allure, "Princess Charlotte Switched Her Hair to a Middle Part and It Looks Utterly Adorable," 9 July 2018
Hoskins, meanwhile, has been hot since returning from a 10-day absence because of a fractured jaw.

— scott lauber, Philly.com, "Phillies' whole is greater than sum of their parts, as All-Star voting proves | Extra Innings," 9 July 2018
Francis, meanwhile, has been a part of Howard County Youth Program (HCYP) softball since 1995.

— kyle stackpole, Howard County Times, "Howard County announces 2018 Community Sports Hall of Fame induction class," 7 July 2018
Milwaukee's offense, meanwhile, was non-existent after the first.

— todd rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Braves 5, Brewers 1: Offense has no answer for Anibal Sánchez," 7 July 2018

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."