meanwhile

meanwhile — adverb

1. used to describe an action or situation that happens during the time between two

1.adverbB1
Definition

used to describe an action or situation that happens during the time between two events, or that occurs in parallel with another event already being discussed

Example

Amani finished her homework; meanwhile, her brother was playing video games in the living room.

semicolon structure showing simultaneous actions

The doctor will see you soon. Meanwhile, please fill out these forms at the front desk.

sentence-initial meanwhile for 'while waiting'

Common collocations
  • meanwhile, back at/in...
  • meanwhile, ...
Synonyms
  • meantime

    interchangeable in many contexts, especially in 'in the meantime'

  • at the same time

    more literal and less formal; works in everyday speech

  • simultaneously

    more formal and precise; focuses on exact concurrent timing

Grammar Patterns

Meanwhile, [clause]

[Clause]; meanwhile, [clause]

Usage Note

Unlike 'while', which connects two actions within a single sentence, 'meanwhile' often starts a new sentence or follows a semicolon, creating a stronger separation between the two situations being compared.

Common Mistakes

I was cooking meanwhile he was watching TV.
I was cooking while he was watching TV.
'meanwhile' is not a conjunction; use 'while' to join two clauses in one sentence.
Meanwhile I was cooking, he arrived home.
I was cooking. Meanwhile, he arrived home.
'meanwhile' does not introduce a dependent clause; start a new sentence or use a semicolon.

meanwhile — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Meanwhile' and 'meantime' are very close in meaning and can often be used interchangeably, especially in the fixed phrases 'in the meantime' and 'in the meanwhile'. However, 'meanwhile' is more common as a sentence adverb that opens a new clause or sentence, while 'meantime' appears more frequently in the prepositional phrase 'in the meantime'. 'At the same time' is the most direct and informal option, used in everyday conversation to describe actions happening concurrently: 'She was checking emails; at the same time, she was listening to music.' 'Simultaneously' is the most formal of the group and suggests exact chronological overlap, often used in technical or academic writing: 'The two experiments ran simultaneously in separate laboratories.' For most everyday contexts, 'meanwhile' offers the best balance of naturalness and clarity.

meanwhile ↗meantime ↗at the same timesimultaneously ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • in the meanwhile
  • for the meanwhile
  • meanwhile, back at/in...

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Middle English by combining 'mean' (meaning 'middle' or 'intermediate', from Old English mǣne) and 'while' (meaning 'a period of time', from Old English hwīl). The compound was first used as a noun meaning 'the intervening time' in the 14th century, and later developed into an adverb in the 17th century.