What does "then" mean?
That time.
Then
/ðen/ adj, adv, conj, name, noun
adj, adv, conj, name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: That time.
- Grammar: then is listed as adj, adv, conj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: so, above, accordingly, additionally.
- Useful contrasts: before, previously, prior to.
- Usage evidence: After that, I left, but then I realized that I forgot my backpack at their house.
How to use "then"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "then" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "then" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "then" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "then" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "then" is acting as adj, adv, conj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "so" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "then", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 That time.
"It will be finished before then."
- 2 that time; that moment wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Being so at that time. not-comparable
"He had met his then girlfriend when he had just started university. The relationship ended unhappily when the girlfriend complained that he never wanted to go out."
Adjective
- 1 at a specific prior time wordnet
Adverb
- 1 At that time. not-comparable
"He was happy then."
- 2 Soon afterward. not-comparable
"He fixed it, then left."
- 3 Next in order of place. not-comparable, sequence
"There are three green ones, then a blue one."
- 4 In addition; also; besides. not-comparable
"Another legend says that now and again in the world's history a monarch appears who conquers and rules every nation under the sun. […] Then many of the Siamese believe that the animal is inhabited by the soul of some great man of the past […]"
- 5 In that case. conjunctive, not-comparable
"If it’s locked, then we’ll need the key."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 At the same time; on the other hand. not-comparable, sequence
"That’s a nice shirt, but then, so is the other one."
- 7 Used to contradict an assertion. UK, dialectal, not-comparable
"‘She says Indian elephants are tidgy little things.’ ‘They're not then.’ Emma was getting heated. ‘They're –’ ‘Emma!’ said Jenny sharply. The child subsided."
Adverb
- 1 subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors) wordnet
- 2 at that time wordnet
- 3 in that case or as a consequence wordnet
Conjunction
- 1 Obsolete spelling of than. alt-of, obsolete
"[…]his hand, more ſad [i.e., heavy, hard] then lomp of lead,[…]"
- 2 Misspelling of than. alt-of, misspelling
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"After that, I left, but then I realized that I forgot my backpack at their house."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "then"?
Common synonyms include: so, above, accordingly, additionally, aforetime, after.
How do you use "then" in a sentence?
After that, I left, but then I realized that I forgot my backpack at their house.
How do you pronounce "then"?
Pronounced /ðen/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English then(ne), than(ne), from Old English þonne, þanne, þænne (“then, at that time”), from Proto-West Germanic *þan, from Proto-Germanic *þan (“at that (time), then”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“demonstrative pronoun, that”). Cognate with Dutch dan (“then”), German dann (“then”), Swedish då (“then”), Icelandic þá (“then”). Doublet of than.
Etymology 2
* As a south German surname, from the personal name Thön, a form of Anthony. * Also as a German surname, a variant of Ten, occupational surname for a mintmaster, from obsolete Middle Low German ten, tene (“blank; disk from which a coin is made”), possibly related to Proto-Germanic *tainaz (“metal rod”), or perhaps otherwise from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch”). * Also as a German name, from the noun Tenne (“threshing-floor”). * As a Chinese surname, a Romanization of 鄧 /邓 (dèng) (see Deng) and 田 (tián) (see Tian).