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 …

The meaning of THEN is at that time. How to use then in a sentence.

You use then at the beginning of a sentence or after `and' or `but' to introduce a comment or an extra piece of information to what you have already said. He sounded sincere, but then, he always did.

1. at that time: Prices were lower then. 2. immediately or soon afterward: The rain stopped and then started again. 3. next in order of time or place: We ate, then we started home.

Feb 19, 2026 · 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.

Jul 16, 2025 · Unlock the versatile English word "then." This glossary entry provides a clear definition, detailed etymology, and practical examples of its use as an adverb, conjunction, and adjective.

at that time: Prices were lower then. immediately or soon afterward: The rain stopped and then started again. next in order of time or place: We ate, then we started home. in those circumstances: If you …

Definition of then adverb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Then is a very common word that’s used in situations involving what comes next—either in terms of time (as in Just then, the door opened or We saw a movie and then we drove home) or a result (as in If …

Then as an adverb has a number of different meanings. We can use then to mean ‘at that time’, referring either to the past or the future. In this case, it is usually at the end of the clause: When I was a child, I …