afterward

adverb

af·​ter·​ward ˈaf-tər-wərd How to pronounce afterward (audio)
ˈaf-tə-
variants or afterwards
ˈaf-tər-wərdz How to pronounce afterward (audio)
ˈaf-tə-
: at a later or succeeding time : subsequently, thereafter
found out about it long afterward

Examples of afterward in a Sentence

He found out about it long afterward. Afterward, she got a promotion.
Recent Examples on the Web This music is supremely inviting, with melodies that follow the general contours of R&B, but without any agony, no messy human catharsis to clean up afterward. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Light snow or a snow-rain mix is expected into early Saturday morning between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. with a chance of rain afterward, although there is little to no snow accumulation expected. Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 Parental supervision, game discussions afterward, and time limits are all helpful in setting up a safe and fun experience. Maya Polton, Parents, 7 Mar. 2024 From there, the ratio needs to increase to 6 to 10 in the subsequent decade, and 10 to 1 afterward. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors connected Brown to that incident because the car involved in the police chase, the clothing Brown wore when he was arrested and the gun recovered afterward were a match with the shooting the day before, according to a criminal complaint. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Then, in the meeting or afterward, users can use Copilot to ask questions about the meeting. Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 Swift’s Saturday night show was attended by actress Rebel Wilson, while on Friday, the singer's boyfriend Travis Kelce, who flew into Sydney on Thursday to support the singer before jetting back to the U.S. afterward, was in the audience. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 As a nurse treated the inmate in a hallway afterward, Quillen arrived and filmed, Quillen’s plea agreement says. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afterward.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afterward "behind, in the rear, at a later time," going back to Old English æfterweard "behind, following," from æfter after entry 1 + -weard -ward entry 2; Middle English afterwardes, efterwardes "at a later time," from afterward + -es -s entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of afterward was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near afterward

Cite this Entry

“Afterward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afterward. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

afterward

adverb
af·​ter·​ward ˈaf-tə(r)-wərd How to pronounce afterward (audio)
variants or afterwards
: at a later time

More from Merriam-Webster on afterward

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