word choice - What is the correct usage of "meanwhile"?


I see meanwhile a lot; I use it a lot; yet I'm not sure about the formal rules when it's applicable. Can anyone help me?



Answer



"Meanwhile" is a word meaning "while something else is happening." It is used to bridge references to two actions that are happening simultaneously.



I was sitting in my car at the train station, waiting for my wife, who was supposed to be home on the 6:40. Meanwhile, she was on a different train going to God-knows-where.



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