From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthenthen1 /ðen/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb 1 THENat a particular time in the past or future I wish I had known then what I know now. It was then that I realised she’d tricked me. He started his career in St Petersburg – or Leningrad as it then was.by/until/since then They’re sending out the results next week, so we won’t know anything until then. It was late evening when the doctor arrived, and by then it was too late. That was in 1970. Since then the place has changed a lot. They met in 1942 and from then on (=starting at that time) they were firm friends. Silently she closed the door. Just then she heard a noise. I was paid £1,000, which was a lot of money back then (=a long time ago when things were different) in the 1950s.2 AFTERused to say what happens next or what you do next Mix the flour and butter, then add the eggs. Byron travelled to Italy and then to Greece.3 SO/CONSEQUENTLY a) used when saying what the result of a situation or action will be If you won’t tell him, then I will. Start off early, then you won’t have to rush. b) spoken used when you think that something is probably true because of what you know about the situation Still in your pyjamas? Have you just got out of bed then?4 → but then (again)5 spokenXX a) used at the beginning of a conversation or activity Now then, what would you like to do today? Right then, shall we start? b) used at the end of a conversation, especially to show that something has been agreed Good, that’s settled then. We’ll all meet here next Wednesday. Okay then, I’ll see you at work. c) used to show that you are saying something because of what someone has just said ‘We’re late.’ ‘We’d better hurry, then.’ ‘Friday’s no good.’ ‘Then how about Saturday?’6 AND/ALSOused to add something to what you have just mentioned We have to invite your parents and my parents, and then there’s your brother. 7 used to refer back to what you have just been talking about This then was the situation facing the government at the end of the war.8 → then and there → (every) now and then at now1(5)
Examples from the Corpus
then• ""I'm full up.'' ""Does that mean you don't want any dessert then?''• I should be finished work by noon. Would you like to get together then?• Just wait until July -- all the exams will be over by then.• She thought back over her early married life; everything had been so different then.• Fry the onions gently, and then add the meat and cook for a few minutes.• Both sides must forget about the past. Then and only then can there be peace.• Bob sat down and read the letter again slowly. Then and only then did it begin to sink in that Stella was really dead.• Add a cup of sugar. Then beat in three eggs.• School starts in September, and until then I'll be staying with friends.• I finished cleaning and then I took a little nap.• If the technology is used for more than word processing then lawyers will certainly need to be trained.• He looked away and then looked back.• Back then, nearly anything associated with oil-rich Texas seemed to be a hot product.• First Sue was a teacher. Then she was an artist. Who knows what she'll do next!• Altematively, you can place the frozen, cut nuts in boiling water and then slowly return the water to a boil.• It was then that Jan realized he had lied to her.• The only comfortable position was standing up because then the fluid drained away and stopped pressing against his lungs.• I sat down at my desk and got out a pile of reports to read. Just then, the phone rang.• They took a flavor of Don Rickles and then they cross the line.• Don't make eye contact - then they won't ask for money.• First we played tennis, and then we went swimming.• You sought out your supporters, briefed them beforehand, then went into the meeting knowing you had strength in numbers.• First you need to collect all the information and make detailed notes. Then you can start to actually write your essay.back then• In truth, there wasn't anybody of his current stature on those teams back then.• My life is still at risk because of the decision I made back then.• The average day saw just 60 million shares traded back then.• He did kiss me back then, as if he wanted to press his wretched thin inhibited mouth right through my head.• He would walk over and back then go home, life was still sweet in spite of father's mean ways.• Even back then I didn't like to stay out all night.• Hey - the guy wasn't a breadhead back then, right?• Some right-wingers back then tried to lock the exit doors on bad marriages by making divorce much harder to get.• Not back then when I was with the Go Go's.If ... then• If you then choose to go on with it, you are ready to begin a lifetime of training in depth.• And if sacred, then durable?• If then follows that the sign of the risk premium can not be decided apriori.• If not, then - he would still be there next week.• If Yes, then it is a road.• If it then moves away it allows those behind to follow suit.• If not, then that first flight is going to be a short one.• If equipment failed then the nature of the fault was usually clear to the master bakers.thenthen2 adjective [only before noun] PASTused when mentioning the person who had a particular job, title, or position at a time in the past a visit to China by the then US President, Richard NixonOrigin then1 Old English thonne, thænne 