in the meantime

/ɪn ðə ˈminˌtaɪm/
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During the interval before an expected event or while another thing is happening.

Examples

  • We are waiting for a decision. In the meantime, work can continue.
  • The new clinic opens in June. What will patients do in the meantime?
  • She applied for the job and in the meantime kept studying.
  • The repair will take a week. In the meantime, use the spare bike.
  • The bread needs to rise. In the meantime, heat the oven.

Similar words

meanwhile
in the interim

Meanings

During the interval

time
neutral
During the time before an expected event or while another process continues.

Examples

  • The repair will take a week. In the meantime, use the spare bike.
  • We are waiting for a decision. In the meantime, work can continue.
  • The new clinic opens in June. What will patients do in the meantime?
  • She applied for the job and in the meantime kept studying.
  • The bread needs to rise. In the meantime, heat the oven.

Similar words

Etymology

Meantime combines mean in its older sense of “middle” with time. The phrase names the stretch of time between two events.

FAQ

What does in the meantime mean?

It means during the interval before something expected happens.

Is in the meantime the same as meanwhile?

They are close. Both can describe what happens during another period.

Can in the meantime start a sentence?

Yes. It often introduces what people can do while waiting.

Does in the meantime suggest a temporary arrangement?

Often it does, because the main event has not happened yet.

Can in the meantime come at the end of a sentence?

Yes. It can refer back to the waiting period already mentioned.

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