Meanings
plural meanwhiles
- The time between two events.
In the meanwhile, the surveyors carried the line three miles, which was no contemptible day's work, considering how cruelly they were entangled with briers and gallbushes.
Quoted in 2002, Stephen C. Ausband, Byrd's Line: A Natural History (page 37)Synonyms: between-time, meantime
- not comparableDuring the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place.
There was a party going on downstairs. Meanwhile, I was reading a book.
1 more example
Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLCSynonyms: in the meantime, meantime, meanwhilst, the while
- not comparableDuring an intervening time; from now until a future time.
We’re going on holiday next month; meanwhile, keep working on the project.
2 more examples
The day may dawn when fair play, love for one's fellow men, respect for justice and freedom, will enable tormented generations to march forth triumphant from the hideous epoch in which we have to dwell. Meanwhile, never flinch, never weary, never despair.
1955 March 1, Winston Churchill, “Defence”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons), column 1905“[…] I’m not ignoring you, I’m very sorry, I’ll talk to you soon. Meanwhile, get your tickets.”
2004, David Osterczy, Interknot: Adventures in Internet Dating, →ISBN, page 134Synonyms: meantime, until then, for now
- not comparableIn contrast to aspects previously mentioned.
Some songs on the album are beautiful. Meanwhile, others are quite forgettable.
1 more example
When you are in the studio you don’t have anybody to feed off of, meanwhile when you are playing live you interact with people and you feel the energy in the room.
2013 March 29, Markos Papadatos, quoting Marina Diamandis, “Marina And The Diamonds on 'How to be a Heartbreaker'”, in Greek ReporterSynonyms: at the same time, on the other hand
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe time between two events.
adverbDuring the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place.
adverbIn contrast to aspects previously mentioned.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe time between one event, process, or period and another
adverbduring the intervening time
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishmenewhile
- Englishmeanwhile
From Middle English menewhile, equivalent to mean (“intermediate”) + while. Adverb is by ellipsis from in the mean while, noun being conventionally written as one word after the adjective.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَمَّا, إِلَى حِينِ ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ فِي الأَثْنَاءِ
- أَمَّا (ʔammā)during the time something is happening
- إِلَى حِينِ ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ فِي الأَثْنَاءِ (ʔilā ḥīni ḏalika al-waqti)during the intervening time
- فِي حِينِ أَنَّ (fī ḥīni ʔanna)in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
Basque bitartean
- bitarteanduring the time something is happening
Bulgarian междувре́менно, през това́ вре́ме
- междувре́менно (mežduvrémenno)during the time something is happening
- през това́ вре́ме (prez tová vréme)during the intervening time
Catalan mentrestant, mentrestant
- mentrestantduring the time something is happening
- mentrestantduring the intervening time
- entretantduring the intervening time
Chinese Mandarin 同時 /同时, 與此同時 /与此同时
- 同時 /同时 (tóngshí)during the time something is happening
- 與此同時 /与此同时 (yǔcǐtóngshí)during the intervening time
Czech mezitím
- mezitímduring the time something is happening
Danish imens, i mellemtiden
- imensduring the time something is happening
- i mellemtidenduring the time something is happening
- imensduring the intervening time
- i mellemtidenduring the intervening time
- imidlertidin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
Dutch intussen, ondertussen
- intussenduring the time something is happening
- ondertussenduring the time something is happening
- ondertussenduring the intervening time
- intussenduring the intervening time
- in de tussentijdduring the intervening time
Esperanto dume, samtempe
- dumeduring the time something is happening
- samtempeduring the time something is happening
- dumeduring the intervening time
- tamenin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
Finnish samaan aikaan, sillä aikaa
- samaan aikaanduring the time something is happening
- sillä aikaaduring the intervening time
- sillä välinduring the intervening time
French pendant ce temps-là, entretemps
- pendant ce temps-làduring the time something is happening
- entretempsduring the time something is happening
- en attendantduring the time something is happening
- pendant ce temps-làduring the intervening time
German währenddessen, inzwischen
- währenddessenduring the time something is happening
- inzwischenduring the time something is happening
- derweilduring the time something is happening
- einstweilenduring the time something is happening
- währenddessenduring the intervening time
- unterdessenduring the intervening time
- in der Zwischenzeitduring the intervening time
- zwischenzeitlichduring the intervening time
- inzwischenduring the intervening time
Greek εν τω μεταξύ, εν τω μεταξύ
- εν τω μεταξύ (en to metaxý)during the time something is happening
- εν τω μεταξύ (en to metaxý)during the intervening time
Hebrew בינתיים
- בינתיים (beintáyim)during the intervening time
Hungarian eközben, ezalatt
- eközbenduring the time something is happening
- ezalattduring the time something is happening
- közbenduring the time something is happening
- mindeközbenduring the intervening time
- időközbenduring the intervening time
- mígin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
- holottin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
- nohain contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
- jóllehetin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
- azonbanin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
- ugyanakkorin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
Icelandic á meðan, í millitíðinni
- á meðanduring the time something is happening
- í millitíðinniduring the time something is happening
- í millitíðinniduring the intervening time
- á meðanduring the intervening time
Irish lena linn sin
- lena linn sinduring the time something is happening
Italian intanto, nel frattempo
- intantoduring the time something is happening
- nel frattempoduring the time something is happening
- nel contempoduring the time something is happening
- nel tempo stessoduring the time something is happening
- intantoduring the intervening time
- nel frattempoduring the intervening time
- nel contempoduring the intervening time
- nel tempo stessoduring the intervening time
Japanese その間に
- その間に (sono aida ni)during the intervening time
Latin interim, tantisper
- interimduring the time something is happening
- tantisperduring the time something is happening
- intereāduring the intervening time
Malay sementara itu, pada masa yang sama
- sementara ituduring the intervening time
- pada masa yang samaduring the intervening time
Norwegian imens
- imensduring the intervening time
Norwegian Bokmål imens, i mellomtiden
- imensduring the time something is happening
- i mellomtidenduring the time something is happening
Persian در این فاصله
- در این فاصله (dar in fâsele)during the time something is happening
Polish tymczasem, na razie
- tymczasemduring the time something is happening
- na razieduring the time something is happening
- w międzyczasieduring the time something is happening
- tymczasemduring the intervening time
- w międzyczasieduring the intervening time
Portuguese ao mesmo tempo, simultaneamente
- ao mesmo tempoduring the time something is happening
- simultaneamenteduring the time something is happening
- enquanto issoduring the intervening time
- entretantoduring the intervening time
- no entantoin contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned
Romanian între timp
- între timpduring the time something is happening
Russian в э́то вре́мя, в то́ же вре́мя
- в э́то вре́мя (v éto vrémja)during the time something is happening
- в то́ же вре́мя (v tó že vrémja)during the time something is happening
- тем вре́менем (tem vrémenem)during the intervening time
- ме́жду тем (méždu tem)during the intervening time
Spanish mientras tanto, mientras tanto
- mientras tantoduring the time something is happening
- mientras tantoduring the intervening time
- entretantoduring the intervening time
- a todo estoduring the intervening time
- a todas estasduring the intervening time
Swedish under tiden, samtidigt
- under tidenduring the time something is happening
- samtidigtduring the time something is happening
- under tidenduring the intervening time
- samtidigtduring the intervening time
- under mellantidenduring the intervening time
Ukrainian в то́й же ча́с, тим ча́сом
- в то́й же ча́с (v tój že čás)during the time something is happening
- тим ча́сом (tym čásom)during the time something is happening
- тим ча́сом (tym čásom)during the intervening time
- між ти́м (miž tým)during the intervening time
Yiddish דערווײַל
- דערווײַל (dervayl)during the time something is happening
Cite this entry
meanwhile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meanwhile
“meanwhile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meanwhile. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meanwhile,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meanwhile.
Source: meanwhile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.