afterward

adverb

af·​ter·​ward ˈaf-tər-wərd 

ˈaf-tə-

variants or afterwards

ˈaf-tər-wərdz 

ˈaf-tə-

: at a later or succeeding time : subsequently, thereafter

found out about it long afterward

Synonyms of afterward

• later
• after
• thereafter

Examples of afterward in a Sentence

He found out about it long afterward.

Afterward, she got a promotion.

Recent Examples on the Web

The El Niño event is expected to peak in December, and experts say its onslaught could continue for months afterward. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

And afterward, even some inside the walls of USC couldn’t help but cringe about it. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

The repercussions of the slaps continued for hours afterward. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Nov. 2026

When the decision to hire Schottenheimer was made, anything that happened afterward immediately fell on the Joneses up top. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026

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

Kids Definition

afterward

adverb

af·​ter·​ward ˈaf-tə(r)-wərd 

variants or afterwards

-wərdz 

: at a later time