THEN | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of then in English thenadverb, adjective [ before noun ] uk /ðen/ us /ðen/ Add to word list Add to word list A1 (at) that time (in the past or in the future): I was working in the city then.formal I wanted to live in the city, but my then husband (= the man who was my husband at that time) preferred the country. Give it to me next week - I won't have time to read it before/until then. I'll call you tomorrow - I should have the details by then.

• He's always harking back to his childhood and saying how things were better then.
• Just then, the lights went out.
• The train leaves at three minutes to eight, so we'd better get there a few minutes before then.
• If you come to the surgery at 10.30, the doctor will see you then.
• They used to live in a big house with lots of servants, but they've come down in the world since then.

In the past

• ago
• ancient history
• any more idiom
• anymore
• back in the day idiom
• bygone
• departed
• dim
• last night
• lately
• latterly
• many moons ago idiom
• mist
• recent
• recently
• retro
• rewind
• rewind the clock idiom
• sometime
• the mists of time idiom

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

In the future & soon

Idioms

from then on then and there thenadverb uk /ðen/ us /ðen/

then adverb (NEXT)

A1 next or after that: Let me finish this job, then we'll go. Give her the letter to read, then she'll understand.

• Study the examples first of all, then attempt the exercises on the next page.
• Follow the road for two kilometres, then turn left.
• The children will first sing individually and then together as a group.
• We took the ferry across the Channel and then joined the Paris train at Calais.
• First apply shampoo to hair and then rinse thoroughly.

Linguistics: connecting words joining words or phrases with similar or related meanings

• and/or phrase
• anyhoo
• anyhow
• concatenate
• conjunctive
• conjunctively
• ergo
• hereby
• I mean idiom
• less
• much less idiom
• right
• so
• that is to say ... idiom
• there
• therefore
• therein lies idiom
• thus
• what
• woof

See more results »

then adverb (IN ADDITION)

B2 in addition: This is the standard model - then there's the deluxe version which costs more.

• We have a town house, a country cottage, and then there's our villa in Spain.
• She's a writer mainly - then she paints, and does some excellent photography too.
• I've got to get everything ready for our visitors, and then I haven't finished writing that report yet.
• If you're looking for something smaller, then there's a compact 36 cm screen size, ideal for bedroom or kitchen use.
• Let's see - there were Mary, Jack, Greg and myself - then there were the children, Amy, John and Laura, plus the two dogs.

Also, extra, and in addition

• added
• additional
• additionally
• again
• along
• either
• else
• et al.
• et cetera
• etc.
• excess
• extra
• parents-in-law
• premium
• prepend
• regardless
• same
• secondly
• thing
• touch

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then adverb (RESULT)

A2 as a result; in that case; also used as a way of joining a statement to an earlier piece of conversation: Have a rest now, and then you won't be so tired tonight. You'll be selling your house, then?

• If you plan the project well, then everything should fall into place.
• Try and get some sleep on the plane, then you'll arrive feeling fresh.
• I'll leave you to get on then, shall I?
• If there are only five of us going to the concert, then I've booked one too many seats.
• If 2x = 8, then x = 4.

Linguistics: connecting words joining words or phrases with similar or related meanings

• and/or phrase
• anyhoo
• anyhow
• concatenate
• conjunctive
• conjunctively
• ergo
• hereby
• I mean idiom
• less
• much less idiom
• right
• so
• that is to say ... idiom
• there
• therefore
• therein lies idiom
• thus
• what
• woof

See more results »

Grammar

Linking adverbs (then, however)Linking adverbs show a relationship between two clauses or sentences (e.g. a sequence in time, cause and effect, contrast between two things): … ThenThen as an adverb has a number of different meanings. …

Idiom

but then (again) (Definition of then from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

then | American Dictionary

thenadjective, adverb [ not gradable ] us /ðen/

then adjective, adverb [not gradable] (TIME)

Add to word list Add to word list at that time (in the past or in the future): She was then sixteen years old. Soon the sun will go down, and then it will be time to go.

Idioms

then again then and there thenadverb [ not gradable ] us /ðen/

then adverb [not gradable] (NEXT)

next or after that: He smiled, then turned to me and nodded.

then adverb [not gradable] (IN ADDITION)

in addition: We both want to go, and then there’s Carmen, so we need three tickets.

then adverb [not gradable] (AS A RESULT)

as a result; in that case; also used as a way of joining a statement to an earlier piece of conversation: Why don’t you call them to tell them we’ll be late? Then they won’t worry. If I don’t hear from you by Friday, then I’ll assume you’re not coming. (Definition of then from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of then

then If a policy is the equivalent of a hypothesis, what are the ifs and thens of youth policy, urban transportation, or environmental protection policy? From the Cambridge English Corpus Substitution of intothen yields an equation for the averaged flow variables. From the Cambridge English Corpus You will then prepare a brief document summarizing what you will say to the group. From the Cambridge English Corpus If the individual is a male, then the genetic difference between his bacteriome and the rest of his tissues becomes even greater as he develops. From the Cambridge English Corpus Then in 1998, he was asked to collaborate in a microarray project. From the Cambridge English Corpus Free access to research literature enhances student learning and helps produce the next generation of graduate students, who are then better trained. From the Cambridge English Corpus If it is not, then cooperation may not be surprising or paradoxical after all. From the Cambridge English Corpus The cells were then washed to remove any unattached virus and fresh medium was added. From the Cambridge English Corpus The supervisor would then approve the voucher electronically. From the Cambridge English Corpus Slides were then treated, and the hybridization reaction was carried out as described at. From the Cambridge English Corpus If they are unable to do so, then the auditors should report the fraud or illegal acts directly as discussed above. From the Cambridge English Corpus Well, then, can we think such a life desirable? From the Cambridge English Corpus Are we then to include in our definition of virtue that it must be a thing good in itself? From the Cambridge English Corpus Our knowledge exists, then, within a reality that is its foundation, and yet which is a mystery that the knowledge cannot wholly grasp. From the Cambridge English Corpus Then it checks the ontology for any of these synonyms. From the Cambridge English Corpus See all examples of then These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. What is the pronunciation of then?

Translations of then

in Chinese (Traditional) 在當時（過去或未來）（的）, 在那時（的）, 接著… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 在当时（过去或未来）（的）, 在那时（的）, 接着… See more in Spanish entonces, después, así… See more in Portuguese então, em seguida, daí… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian त्या वेळी / (भूतकाळ किंवा भविष्यकाळातील) ती वेळ, मग, नंतर… See more その時に, 当時, それから… See more o zaman, o vakit, sonra… See more alors, à cette époque, ensuite… See more llavors, després, així… See more toen, dan… See more அந்த நேரத்தில் (கடந்த காலத்தில் அல்லது எதிர்காலத்தில்), அடுத்தது அல்லது அதன் பிறகு, இதுதவிர / கூடுதலாக… See more तब, उस समय (अतीत या भविष्य में), फिर… See more ત્યારે, તે સમયે, ત્યાં સુધી… See more dengang, så, på det tidspunkt… See more då, [till/innan/sedan] dess, [adjö] så länge… See more pd waktu itu, waktu itu, waktu ini… See more damals, dann, außerdem… See more da, den gangen, så… See more تب, اس وقت, اس کے بعد… See more тоді, на той час, з того часу… See more అప్పుడు, తరువాత, అది కాకుండా… See more সেই সময়ে, তারপর, পরবর্তী বা তার পরে… See more tehdy, potom, pak… See more ketika itu, waktu itu, kemudian… See more ในขณะนั้น, ช่วงนั้น, หลังจากนั้น… See more vào lúc, lúc đó, rồi… See more wtedy, potem, następnie… See more 그 때, 그 다음에, 그래서… See more allora, in quel momento, poi… See more Need a translator?

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More meanings of then

• then again idiom
• then and there idiom
• back then idiom
• but then (again) idiom
• now then idiom
• and then some idiom
• (every) now and then/again idiom

See all meanings

• then again idiom
• then and there idiom
• back then idiom
• but then (again) idiom
• now then idiom
• and then some idiom
• (every) now and then/again idiom

See all idioms and phrases

Word of the Day

self-deprecating

UK /ˌselfˈdep.rə.keɪ.tɪŋ/ US /ˌselfˈdep.rə.keɪ.t̬ɪŋ/

trying to make yourself, your abilities, or your achievements seem less important

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• English   Adverb, adjective
  • Adverb 
    • then (NEXT)
    • then (IN ADDITION)
    • then (RESULT)
• American   
  • Adjective, adverb 
    • then (TIME)
  • Adverb 
    • then (NEXT)
    • then (IN ADDITION)
    • then (AS A RESULT)
• Examples

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