I. (|)then sometimes thən adverb
Etymology: Middle English thanne, than, thenne, then, from Old English thanne, thonne, thænne; akin to Old High German thanne, thanna, denne then, Old Norse thā, Gothic than then, Old English thæt, neuter demonstrative pron. & definite article — more at that
1. : at that time : at the time mentioned or specified
the situation as it then was
science as it was then taught
2. : soon after that : immediately after that : next in order of time
walked to the door, then turned
first left, then right
then came the thunder
— used often to imply a causal or other relation to the preceding
come closer, then I won't have to shout
3.
a. : following next after this in order of position, narration, enumeration
a hill, then a river valley, then another hill
b. : in addition : besides
and then there is the interest to be paid
4.
a. : in that case : under those circumstances
keep it, then , if you want to
if he didn't take it, then who did
hurry, then , if you're coming with us
what if there should be a fire, what then
— used after but to qualify or offset a preceding statement
it's true he lost the race, but then he never really expected to win it
b. : according to that : as may be inferred
you did go, then , after all
your mind is made up, then
c. : by way of summing up : as it appears
these, then , are the things you must do
the cause of the accident, then , seems to be established
d. : as a necessary or logical consequence : consequently
if the angles are equal, then their complements are equal
•
- and then some
II. conjunction
Etymology: Middle English thanne, than, thenne, then, from thanne, than, thenne, then, adverb
obsolete : at the time that : when
III. ˈthen noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English thanne, than, thenne, then, from thanne, than, thenne, then, adverb
: that time : that moment
till then , who knew the force of those dire arms — John Milton
we should get there long before then
they were friends from then on
IV. adjective
Etymology: then (I)
: existing, acting at, or belonging to the time mentioned
the then current of opinion
the then secretary of state
V. thən, (|)then
dialect
variant of than