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

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 …

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.

6 days ago · 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.

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.

Then is a word that puts things in order by time, or refers to a moment in time: you get up; then you have breakfast. You're married now; back then, you were single.

Mar 9, 2026 · The word "then" is a versatile adverb that indicates time, sequence, or consequence. Its correct use enhances clarity in expressing chronological order or logical outcomes.

'Then' helps specify the succession of events, clarifying when something occurs in relation to another. It sometimes appears in phrases indicating change, such as 'back then,' which refers to a past time.

THEN meaning: 1 : at that time at the time mentioned; 2 : used to indicate what happened or happens next

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'then.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam …