meanwhile when

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "meanwhile when" is not correct and is not typically used in written English.
It is redundant because "meanwhile" and "when" serve similar purposes in indicating simultaneous events or actions. Example: "Meanwhile, when the meeting started, I was still stuck in traffic."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Meanwhile, when it accounted for uncertainty, the crash rate reduced to 2percentt.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Meanwhile, when La Russa noticed that Motte was not warming up, he called the bullpen again.

The New York Times - Sports

Meanwhile, when we look at the last 10 years, that number plummets to 37 percent.

The New York Times

Meanwhile, when Palestinians say "Jews", they often mean only Israeli Jews.

The Economist

Meanwhile, when he was reached by telephone, "Mr. Borgnine declined to discuss the reports".

The New York Times

(He came up with the title, meanwhile, when his friend went to get more drinks).

The New York Times

Meanwhile, when Britain declared war on Germany, Unity Mitford shot herself in the head.

The New Yorker

Meanwhile, when Labour created the Scottish parliament it did not give it sufficient commitment.

The Guardian

Meanwhile, when the Sun flares, it produces X-rays, gamma rays and high-energy particles.

The New York Times - Science

Meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our nation's infrastructure, they gave us a "D".

The Guardian

Meanwhile, when applied to youths, the laws undercut a central tenet of the juvenile justice system.

The New York Times - Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "meanwhile when" in your writing. Opt for clearer and more grammatically correct alternatives such as "at the same time" or "in the meantime" to ensure effective communication.

Common error

The phrase "meanwhile when" is redundant. "Meanwhile" already implies that something is happening at the same time as something else, so adding "when" is unnecessary and creates an awkward construction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "meanwhile when" functions as a temporal conjunction, attempting to connect two clauses by indicating that they occur simultaneously. However, Ludwig AI points out that the combination is redundant, as "meanwhile" already conveys simultaneity.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

36%

Academia

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "meanwhile when" is a frequently used but grammatically incorrect expression intended to convey simultaneous events. Ludwig AI identifies it as redundant, noting that "meanwhile" itself implies simultaneity. Although "meanwhile when" appears across various sources, particularly in news, media, and scientific contexts, its use is generally discouraged in formal writing. For clarity and grammatical correctness, alternatives like "at the same time", "in the meantime", or "as" should be preferred. Authors should avoid "meanwhile when" to ensure effective communication and avoid redundancy. The authoritative sources where the sentence can be found are: The New York Times, The Guardian, TechCrunch, The Washington Post and The Economist.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in the meantime

A common alternative to "meanwhile", indicating that something else is happening during the same period.

at the same time as

Substitutes "meanwhile when" with a more grammatically sound phrase indicating concurrence.

as

A simple conjunction that can replace "meanwhile when" to show that two things are happening concurrently.

during which time

Indicates that something happened during a specific period, offering a clearer temporal relationship.

while at the same time

A slightly more emphatic way of saying "at the same time", replacing "meanwhile when" with a more descriptive phrase.

simultaneously when

Replaces "meanwhile" with "simultaneously" to emphasize the concurrent nature of the events, though still contains the problematic "when".

whilst

A more formal synonym for "while", indicating that two actions are happening at the same time.

in the interim

Focuses on the period between two events, similar to "meanwhile" but without the addition of "when".

concurrently

Highlights the simultaneous occurrence of events, replacing the entire phrase with a single adverb.

as this was happening

Provides context and indicates simultaneity, replacing the original phrase with a clearer description of events.

FAQs

Why is "meanwhile when" considered grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "meanwhile when" is considered grammatically incorrect because it's redundant. The word "meanwhile" already indicates that two events are happening simultaneously, making the addition of "when" unnecessary. Using only "meanwhile" or alternative phrases like "at the same time" provides clarity and grammatical correctness.

What are some alternatives to using "meanwhile when" in a sentence?

Instead of using "meanwhile when", you can use phrases like "at the same time as", "in the meantime", "simultaneously", or simply "as", depending on the context. These alternatives provide clearer and more grammatically sound ways to express concurrent events.

Is there a specific context where "meanwhile when" is acceptable?

While the phrase "meanwhile when" appears in various sources, it is generally discouraged in formal writing due to its redundancy. There isn't a specific context where it becomes grammatically acceptable; it's preferable to use clearer alternatives in all cases.

How can I correct sentences that mistakenly use "meanwhile when"?

To correct sentences that use "meanwhile when", replace the phrase with a single word or phrase that indicates simultaneity or sequence. For example, "Meanwhile, when the meeting started, I was still stuck in traffic" can be corrected to "At the same time as the meeting started, I was still stuck in traffic" or "Meanwhile, the meeting started, but I was still stuck in traffic".