# meanwhile

Pronunciation: US say "MEEN-wyl" /ˈmiːnwaɪl/; UK

## Adverb

1. In the same period in which some other event is taking place, often somewhere else.
   - Simple: At the same time that something else is happening, often in a different place.
   - _The negotiators argued for hours. Meanwhile, protesters gathered outside the building._
   - _He waited calmly at the gate; meanwhile, his luggage was being loaded onto the wrong plane._
2. During an intervening period; in the time between now and a future event.
   - Simple: During the time between now and something that will happen later.
   - _The new bridge opens next spring; meanwhile, drivers must take the long detour._
   - _Results won't arrive for two weeks. Meanwhile, the lab continues testing other samples._
3. Used to introduce a fact or situation that contrasts with what has just been said.
   - Simple: Used to show that another fact or situation is very different.
   - _The company reported record profits. Meanwhile, thousands of its workers face layoffs._
   - _Critics praised the film. Meanwhile, audiences stayed away in droves._

## Noun

4. The stretch of time that passes between two events.
   - Simple: The period of time between two things that happen.
   - _The verdict comes Friday; in the meanwhile, both sides are bracing for appeals._
   - _Her new passport won't arrive for six weeks, and in the meanwhile she's showing her driver's license at the airport._

## Origin

From Middle English menewhile, formed from mean (in the sense of 'intermediate') plus while. The adverb comes by shortening from 'in the mean while', and the one-word noun form followed the adjective.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/meanwhile (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).