meantime
3 synonyms and 0 antonyms for meantime, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The period of time between two events.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
How to use meantime
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Middle English menetime, a compound of mean ("intermediate") and time; the adverb comes from the phrase "in the meantime".
Full origin of meantime →Frequently asked questions
What does “meantime” mean?
The word “meantime” means the period of time between two events. In plain terms, the time between two things happening, or "during that time" used as an adverb.
How do you pronounce “meantime”?
“Meantime” is pronounced MEEN-tym (/ˈmiːntaɪm/ in IPA).
How do you use “meantime” in a sentence?
Here is “meantime” used in a sentence: “The renovation will take a month; in the meantime, we're staying with relatives.”
What part of speech is “meantime”?
Depending on how it is used, “meantime” can be a noun and an adverb.
Where does the word “meantime” come from?
The word “meantime” comes from Middle English. From Middle English menetime, a compound of mean ("intermediate") and time; the adverb comes from the phrase "in the meantime".
Is “meantime” a common word?
“Meantime” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “meantime” have?
“Meantime” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the period of time between two events.
What is the difference between meantime and meanwhile?
Both refer to the period between two events, but they behave differently. Meantime is most often a noun in the phrase 'in the meantime,' while meanwhile usually stands alone as an adverb: 'Meanwhile, the guests waited.' Meantime can also be used alone as an adverb, but that use is less common.
Is it 'in the meantime' or 'in the mean time'?
Modern English writes it as one word: in the meantime. The word began as the two-word phrase 'mean time,' but that spacing now survives mainly in the unrelated technical phrase 'Greenwich Mean Time,' where mean means 'average.'
Can meantime start a sentence?
Yes, in its adverb use: 'Meantime, work on the bridge continued.' Many writers prefer 'Meanwhile' or 'In the meantime' at the start of a sentence, but bare 'Meantime' is also correct and is especially common in journalism.