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meanwhile

meanwhile

10 3.2
The time between two events
  • noun
  • /ˈmiːnˌwaɪl/
: mientras tanto
  • The concert starts at 7 PM; in the meanwhile, we'll grab dinner.

So I tried that and in the meanwhile I went to a gardening centre to find other media.

Examples

Synonyms

meantime
vsmeanwhile
129 2.5

The time between two events

is the same period described as a linking time expression
gap
vsmeanwhile
68 2.3

A pause in an activity or event

means the intervening time but without implying a break or delay
space
vsmeanwhile
32 3.1

A period of time between two events

is the same idea framed as a temporal connection between events
interim
vsmeanwhile
31 5.4

The time between one event and the next

is the same intervening time but used more generally in speech
interlude
vsmeanwhile
14 6.7

A short break that interrupts or is different from what comes before and after

describes the between time without implying interruption or contrast
time interval
vsmeanwhile
8 3.3

A period between two events that you can measure

is the same span but described without measurement or exact points
elapsed time
vsmeanwhile
2 3.4

Time that passes between two events

refers to the interval itself rather than measuring how much time passed
timespan
vsmeanwhile
1 3.4

A period of time between a start and an end

focuses on the same time but as a simple connector between events

How Long

long time
∞ 1.0
meanwhile
10 3.2
period
∞ 2.1
while
∞ 1.0
moment
∞ 1.0
instant
209 1.0

Surface Forms

meanwhile singular
meanwhiles plural

Morphology

meanwhile = mean + while (transparent) = mean + while

The noun sense is a direct nominalization of the compound 'mean' + 'while' meaning 'the intervening period'.

Etymology

Meanwhile as a noun uses the same parts: mean ('middle') and while ('time'), so it simply means the 'time between' two events.