adv
meanwhile
MEEN-wyl
adv
1
At the same time, often in a different place or context.
"The kids were watching cartoons; meanwhile, their parents were prepping dinner."
"Meanwhile, back at the office, chaos had broken out."
How to Use Meanwhile
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA word used to shift the story to something happening at the same time somewhere else.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
meanwhile, back at
meanwhile, in
Word Forms
meanwhiles plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “meanwhile”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The kids were watching cartoons; _____, their parents were prepping dinner.
Etymology
From Middle English menewhile, a compound of mean ("intermediate") and while.