meanwhile

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

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

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

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Recent Examples of meanwhile from the Web

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
In the meanwhile, hospitality officials are encouraging do-gooders come to help rebuild.

— Washington Post, "Puerto Rico tourism craters in wake of Hurricane Maria," 24 Oct. 2017
Pitino's future meanwhile will be evaluated at a later date, Postel said, while his assistants' status will be examined by the interim AD.

— Bloomberg.com, "Louisville Places Rick Pitino, AD on Administrative Leave," 27 Sep. 2017
Pitino's future meanwhile will be evaluated at a later date, Postel said, while his assistants' status will be examined by the interim AD.

— USA TODAY, "Louisville places Rick Pitino, AD on administrative leave," 27 Sep. 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

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.