meanwhile

The word “meanwhile” means at the same time, often in a different place or context. In plain terms, a word used to shift the story to something happening at the same time somewhere else.

“Meanwhile” is pronounced MEEN-wyl (/ˈmiːnwaɪl/ in IPA).

Here is “meanwhile” used in a sentence: “The kids were watching cartoons; meanwhile, their parents were prepping dinner.”

“Meanwhile” is an adverb.

The word “meanwhile” comes from Middle English. From Middle English menewhile, a compound of mean ("intermediate") and while.

“Meanwhile” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

The two are very close in meaning. Meanwhile works alone as an adverb — 'Meanwhile, the guests arrived.' Meantime is most often used in the fixed phrase 'in the meantime', which means the same thing. You can say meanwhile by itself, but meantime usually needs 'in the' in front of it in modern writing.

Meanwhile usually opens a sentence to show that two things happen at once or to shift the scene: 'She cooked dinner. Meanwhile, the children set the table.' It can also mean 'in the period between now and a future event', as in 'The train leaves at noon; meanwhile, we can get a coffee.'

Meanwhile is neutral and works in both formal and informal writing. It appears in essays, news reports, and business documents as easily as in casual conversation. In journalism it often introduces a related development elsewhere — 'Meanwhile, in the north...' — making it a versatile linking word for almost any register.

Good alternatives include 'in the meantime', 'at the same time', 'simultaneously', and 'in the interim' for the time sense. To shift focus to another scene or topic, you might use 'elsewhere', 'as this was happening', or 'at that moment'. The best choice depends on whether you mean overlapping time or a change of setting.