meanwhile en · ADV
Pronunciation
- /ˈmiːnhwaɪl/ without the wine–whine merger
- /ˈmiːnwaɪl/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English menewhile, equivalent to mean (“intermediate”) + while. Adverb is by ellipsis from in the mean while, noun being conventionally written as one word after the adjective.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place.
Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:There was a party going on downstairs. Meanwhile, I was reading a book.
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(not-comparable) During an intervening time; from now until a future time.
The day may dawn when fair play, love for one's fellow men, respect for justice and freedom, will enable tormented generations to march forth triumphant from the hideous epoch in which we have to dwell. Meanwhile, never flinch, never weary, never despair.
1955 March 1, Winston Churchill, “Defence”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons), column 1905:We’re going on holiday next month; meanwhile, keep working on the project.
“[…] I’m not ignoring you, I’m very sorry, I’ll talk to you soon. Meanwhile, get your tickets.”
2004, David Osterczy, Interknot: Adventures in Internet Dating, →ISBN, page 134:
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(not-comparable) In contrast to aspects previously mentioned.
Some songs on the album are beautiful. Meanwhile, others are quite forgettable.
When you are in the studio you don’t have anybody to feed off of, meanwhile when you are playing live you interact with people and you feel the energy in the room.
2013 March 29, Markos Papadatos, quoting Marina Diamandis, “Marina And The Diamonds on 'How to be a Heartbreaker'”, in Greek Reporter:
Synonyms
in the meantime · meantime · on the other hand · at the same time · for now · until then · the while · meantime · meanwhilst
Translations (135)
ar فِي حِينِ أَنَّ (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · es entretanto (during the intervening time) · pt enquanto isso (during the intervening time) · da imidlertid (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · sv under mellantiden (during the intervening time) · nn i mellomtida (during the time something is happening) · pl tymczasem (during the intervening time) · sc in tantu (during the time something is happening) · sh u međuvremenu (during the time something is happening) · yi דערווײַל (during the time something is happening) · de inzwischen (during the time something is happening) · da i mellemtiden (during the intervening time) · hu eközben (during the time something is happening) · nb imens (during the time something is happening) · uk тим ча́сом (during the time something is happening) · hu időközben (during the intervening time) · pt no entanto (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · de zwischenzeitlich (during the intervening time) · be тым ча́сам (during the time something is happening) · rsk медзитим (during the time something is happening) · de inzwischen (during the intervening time) · no imens (during the intervening time) · es mientras tanto (during the time something is happening) · cs mezitím (during the time something is happening) · hu mindeközben (during the intervening time) · rsk у медзичаше (during the time something is happening) · is í millitíðinni (during the intervening time) · it intanto (during the time something is happening) · cmn 同時 /同时 (during the time something is happening) · hu noha (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · nl in de tussentijd (during the intervening time) · la interim (during the time something is happening) · is á meðan (during the intervening time) · es a todo esto (during the intervening time) · ja その間に (during the intervening time) · gl entanto (during the intervening time) · hu míg (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · uk між ти́м (during the intervening time) · ca mentrestant (during the intervening time) · ar إِلَى حِينِ ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ فِي الأَثْنَاءِ (during the intervening time) · it nel frattempo (during the intervening time) · is í millitíðinni (during the time something is happening) · be між ты́м (during the intervening time) · ga lena linn sin (during the time something is happening) · hu ezalatt (during the time something is happening) · de einstweilen (during the time something is happening) · be у то́й жа ча́с (during the time something is happening) · ca mentrestant (during the time something is happening) · de währenddessen (during the intervening time) · nl ondertussen (during the time something is happening) · nl intussen (during the time something is happening) · it nel frattempo (during the time something is happening) · gl encanto (during the time something is happening) · ckb لە ھەمان کات (during the intervening time) · sl medtem (during the intervening time) · cmn 與此同時 /与此同时 (during the intervening time) · nl intussen (during the intervening time) · sv under tiden (during the time something is happening) · gl entrementres (during the intervening time) · it intanto (during the intervening time) · hu holott (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · pt entretanto (during the intervening time) · da i mellemtiden (during the time something is happening) · sv samtidigt (during the intervening time) · sh u međuvremenu (during the intervening time) · aeb وَقْتِلِّي (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · sc peristantu (during the intervening time) · de in der Zwischenzeit (during the intervening time) · la intereā (during the intervening time) · gl entrementres (during the time something is happening) · ca entretant (during the intervening time) · uk в то́й же ча́с (during the time something is happening) · eo samtempe (during the time something is happening) · gl namentres (during the intervening time) · da imens (during the intervening time) · ar أَمَّا (during the time something is happening) · gl entanto (during the time something is happening) · ms sementara itu (during the intervening time) · pt ao mesmo tempo (during the time something is happening) · pl tymczasem (during the time something is happening) · it nel contempo (during the time something is happening) · la tantisper (during the time something is happening) · hu jóllehet (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · eo tamen (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · eo dume (during the intervening time) · sv samtidigt (during the time something is happening) · da imens (during the time something is happening) · fr en attendant (during the time something is happening) · hu ugyanakkor (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · ru тем вре́менем (during the intervening time) · uk тим ча́сом (during the intervening time) · de währenddessen (during the time something is happening) · pl w międzyczasie (during the intervening time) · sv under tiden (during the intervening time) · nl ondertussen (during the intervening time) · es a todas estas (during the intervening time) · sl medtem (during the time something is happening) · hu azonban (in contrast or opposed to aspects previously mentioned) · it nel contempo (during the intervening time) · fr entretemps (during the time something is happening) · ru в то́ же вре́мя (during the time something is happening) · sc peristantu (during the time something is happening) · is á meðan (during the time something is happening) · fr pendant ce temps-là (during the intervening time) · nn imens (during the time something is happening) · es mientras tanto (during the intervening time) · ms pada masa yang sama (during the intervening time) · gl namentres (during the time something is happening) · fa در این فاصله (during the time something is happening) · de unterdessen (during the intervening time) · sc in tantu (during the intervening time) · el εν τω μεταξύ (during the intervening time) · pl na razie (during the time something is happening) · fi samaan aikaan (during the time something is happening) · ru в э́то вре́мя (during the time something is happening) · bg междувре́менно (during the time something is happening) · it nel tempo stesso (during the intervening time) · it nel tempo stesso (during the time something is happening) · be тым ча́сам (during the intervening time) · ro între timp (during the time something is happening) · de derweil (during the time something is happening) · nb i mellomtiden (during the time something is happening) · fr pendant ce temps-là (during the time something is happening) · he בינתיים (during the intervening time) · pl w międzyczasie (during the time something is happening) · pt simultaneamente (during the time something is happening) · hu közben (during the time something is happening) · bg през това́ вре́ме (during the intervening time) · ka ამასობაში (during the time something is happening) · ru ме́жду тем (during the intervening time) · fi sillä välin (during the intervening time) · eu bitartean (during the time something is happening) · eo dume (during the time something is happening) · el εν τω μεταξύ (during the time something is happening) · fi sillä aikaa (during the intervening time)