meantime
Americannoun
-
meantimes
plural
adverb
noun
adverb
Usage
What does meantime mean? Meantime means the period of time between two events—between the current time and the time when something else happens. This sense of the word is especially used in the phrase in the meantime, as in The power will come back on soon, so let’s just enjoy the quiet in the meantime. The word meanwhile can also be used as a noun to mean the same thing as meantime, but this is much less common. Meanwhile is much more commonly used as an adverb meaning in or during the time between the current time and the time when something else happens, as in Our guests will arrive in about an hour—meanwhile, let’s get the food ready. Meanwhile can also mean at the same time, as in When I got to my apartment, I realized I had forgotten my key—meanwhile, everyone was already hiding inside for my surprise party. Meantime can also be used as an adverb in both of these ways, but it is much more commonly used as a noun. Example: Our guests won’t arrive for another several hours, so I’m going to take a nap in the meantime.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of meantime
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at mean 3, time
Compare meaning
How does meantime compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The meantime is the time between two events. You might be waiting for the second half of a soccer game to begin, and in the meantime call your best friend to tell her the score. You'll most often see the word meantime in the phrase "in the meantime," and it can be used in a similar way to meanwhile. You could say, "I have to go to the store soon. In the meantime, I'm playing with the dog." This word has been around since the fourteenth century, although it was originally two separate words, mean time. Its root is the word mean, which means "middle or intermediate."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the meantime, you can get your F1 fix as our correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
In the meantime, he tries to shield his daughter, with her school days already numbered.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
In the meantime, it’s better for her to take her $900 Social Security for eight years, right?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Dodgers’ offense, in the meantime, went down in order in the first two innings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
“But for the meantime, I got you a surprise. Now seems like as good a time as ever to give it to you.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
He could not even read the newspapers; he stayed at home two days from business; he worked early and late, and walked up and down, throbbing, meantimes.
From Turns about Town by Robert Cortes Holliday
In the meantimes I will steal a visit now and then to my mother, who spends the autumn in the neighbourhood.
From The World's Greatest Books — Volume 05 — Fiction by Arthur Mee
In the meantimes, however, they lead more rational lives, and justice is properly administered.
“Yes, sir; and meantimes, there is some crackers and cheese and sweetmeats, and likewise a bottle of port wine, in the cart, as you left in the chapel when you went away.”
From Cruel As The Grave by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
