noun
meantime
MEEN-tym
noun
1
The period of time between two events.
"The renovation will take a month; in the meantime, we're staying with relatives."
adv
1
During the intervening period; meanwhile.
"Dinner isn't ready yet — meantime, help yourself to some snacks."
How to Use Meantime
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe time between two things happening, or "during that time" used as an adverb.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
in the meantime
Word Forms
meantimes plural
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The renovation will take a month; in the _____, we're staying with relatives.
Etymology
From Middle English menetime, a compound of mean ("intermediate") and time; the adverb comes from the phrase "in the meantime".