then
/ðɛn
/adverb
1At that time; at the time in question: I was living in Cairo then [after preposition]: Phoebe by then was exhausted [as adjective]: he accepted a peerage from the then Prime Minister, Edward Heath...
- It was about then that I questioned the wisdom of skipping supper before coming out.
- Nothing had changed since then except the addition of the proposed obligation.
- Since then it has become one of the more ridiculous additions to the four-year festival.
Synonyms
at that time, at that point, in those days;
at that point in time, at that moment, on that occasion
2After that; next; afterwards: she won the first and then the second game...
- There's nothing better than making dinner for a group of friends then going out out afterwards.
- During the war years, every penny went on the war, and then afterwards on rebuilding.
- On the night of the offence, he had been for a drink after work and then gone home, he said.
Synonyms
next, after that, afterwards, subsequently, later
2.1Also; in addition: I’m paid a generous salary, and then there’s the money I’ve made at the races...
- Work is mad at the moment, and then there are exams to think about as well.
- I feel that I am in a really lucky position. I paint what I like on the street and then I have a studio where I can play around with different ideas and effects, the kind of things you could never do on the street.
- And then I have a spring show to think about, too.
Synonyms
in addition, also, besides, as well, additionally, on top of that, over and above that, moreover, furthermore, what's more, to boot;
too
3In that case; therefore: if you do what I tell you, then there’s nothing to worry about well, that’s okay then...
- If breaking the laws of physics is necessary to get the plot of the movie to work, then okay.
- We're at home and as long as we keep playing and keep battling to the end as we have been doing then we should do okay.
- If this is easy to recognise for what it is then okay, but if not its effect could be diminished.
Synonyms
in that case, that being the case, that being so, under those circumstances, it follows that
3.1Used at the end of a sentence to emphasize an inference being drawn: so you’re still here then...
- He will cling on to a remembrance of the good things he enjoyed at Celtic in the recent past, then.
3.2Used to finish off a conversation: see you in an hour then...
- See you there then!
- He hugged me tightly and whispered, ‘So Ill see you in a week then?’
- See you next week, then!
Phrases
then and there
Origin
Old English thænne, thanne, thonne, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dan and German dann, also to that and the.