meanwhile

noun

The time between two events.

adverb

During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place.

During an intervening time; from now until a future time.

In contrast to aspects previously mentioned.

Roots

meienmean- · Old French · intermediate, middle hwilwhile- · Old English · period of time

Synonyms for meanwhile

meantimen betweentimes whilen interimadj betweenwhiles

Synonyms & related words for meanwhile

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of meanwhile — including meantime, betweentimes, while, interim, betweenwhiles. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to meanwhile

Explore words related to meanwhile — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include whilst, whereas, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, furthermore, although, moreover. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for meanwhile

Common synonyms for meanwhile include meantime, betweentimes, while, interim, betweenwhiles — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does meanwhile come from?

The word meanwhile breaks down into 2 roots of Old French and Old English origin: mean, from Old French meien (“intermediate, middle”); and while, from Old English hwil (“period of time”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.