Meaning
“In the meantime” means during the time between two events or while waiting for something else to happen. It often introduces a temporary action or situation that fills the gap until the main event occurs.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: adverbial phrase
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Position: usually at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.
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Pattern:
- Event A will happen later. In the meantime, Event B happens.
- Do X in the meantime (while waiting for Y).
Common Phrases
- In the meantime, please wait here.
- What should we do in the meantime?
- Use this tool in the meantime until the update is ready.
Collocations
- wait in the meantime
- work in the meantime
- do something in the meantime
- find a job in the meantime
- stay here in the meantime
Examples
- The new system will be ready next month. In the meantime, we’ll continue using the old one.
- She’s waiting for her visa, and in the meantime she’s staying with friends.
- The train is delayed. What can we do in the meantime?
- He’s preparing for college, and in the meantime he’s working part-time.
- We don’t have the final report yet. In the meantime, let’s review the draft.
- The medicine takes an hour to work, so rest in the meantime.
- We’ll fix the main problem soon, but in the meantime please use the backup.
Synonyms or Related
- meanwhile
- during this time
- for now
- for the time being
Antonym
- immediately
- right away