meanwhile

1 of 2

noun

mean·​while ˈmēn-ˌ(h)wī(-ə)l 

: 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

meanwhile

2 of 2

adverb

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.

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 meanwhile in a Sentence

Adverb

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 on the Web

Noun

In the meanwhile, at least some blink fans are wondering if one, two, or all three band members might show up when the San Diego Padres take on the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday afternoon at Petco Park for the first National League Championship Series game. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2022

In the meanwhile, a community like Unalaska now has got fiber, and that is taking shape at the final mile level, getting fiber right into people’s homes and their businesses, and so forth. —Isabelle Ross, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Jan. 2023

Adverb

Lamar Jackson, meanwhile, has Baltimore a surefire Super Bowl contender. —NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024

Washington, meanwhile, has not offered an adequate response. —Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing meanwhile

• in the meanwhile

Kids Definition

meanwhile

1 of 2 noun

mean·​while ˈmēn-ˌhwīl 

-ˌwīl

: meantime entry 1

meanwhile

2 of 2 adverb

1

: meantime entry 2

2

: at the same time