Meantime

Definition

The intervening time; the time between two events.

Parts of Speech

• Noun
• Adverb

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈminˌtaɪm/
• Respelling: MEEN-tym (with "MEEN" as in "mean" and "tym" as in "time")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈmiːnˌtaɪm/
• Respelling: MEEN-tym (with "MEEN" as in "mean" and "tym" as in "time")

In both dialects, "meantime" places the primary stress on the first syllable, "MEEN." The pronunciation is the same across both American and British English, focusing on the clear articulation of "MEEN-tym."

Etymology

The term "meantime" stems from the Middle English phrase "in mene time", where "mene" is a variant of "mean" in the sense of "middle" or "intermediate", thus referring to an intervening period of time.

Derivatives

• Meantimes
• Meantimely (rare)
• In the meantime

Synonyms

• Meanwhile
• Interim
• Interval

Antonyms

None

Usage

• She's working on the project; in the meantime, we'll prepare the presentation.
• The manager is away this week, but in the meantime, the assistant manager will handle his responsibilities.

Related Terms

• Duration
• Timeframe
• Period
• Span
• Elapsed time

Detailed Definition

Noun

• The time between two events or periods.
• Example: We are waiting for the crops to grow; in the meantime, we'll focus on repairing the farm equipment.

Adverb

• During the interval of time(between now and a future event).
• Example: I will be in the city next month; meantime, I'll be traveling in the countryside.