after

adverb

af·ter | \ ˈaf-tər

How to pronounce after (audio)

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Definition of after

(Entry 1 of 7)

: following in time or place : afterward, behind, later we arrived shortly after returned 20 years after

after

preposition

Definition of after (Entry 2 of 7)

1a : behind in place people lined up one after another

b(1) : subsequent to in time or order 20 minutes after 6

(2) : subsequent to and in view of after all our advice

2 —used to indicate the object of a stated or implied action go after goldwas asking after you

3 : so as to resemble: such as

a : in accordance with He's a man after my own heart.

b : with the name of or a name derived from that of named after his father

c : in the characteristic manner of : in imitation of writing after the manner of Hemingway

after

conjunction

Definition of after (Entry 3 of 7)

: subsequently to the time when We will come after we make plans.

after

adjective

Definition of after (Entry 4 of 7)

1 : later in time in after years

2 [ Middle English, probably from afte ¹aft + -er ¹-er ] : located toward the rear and especially toward the stern of a ship or tail of an aircraft an after cabin

after

auxiliary verb

af·ter | \ ˈäf-tər

How to pronounce after (audio)

\

Definition of after (Entry 5 of 7)

chiefly Irish

—used with a present participle to indicate action completed and especially just completed the poor old man is after dying on me— J. M. Synge

after

noun

Definition of after (Entry 6 of 7)

: afternoon

after-

prefix

Definition of after- (Entry 7 of 7)

1a —used as the first part of a compound to indicate an event or entity that follows or results from the thing denoted by the second part of the compound afterbirthafterlifeafternoon

b —used as the first part of a compound to indicate an event or entity of the same nature as the thing denoted by the second part of the compound but which follows that event or entity and is less intense or significant afterglowaftershockafterthought

2 —the rear or lower part afterdeck

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about after

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Synonyms & Antonyms for after

Synonyms: Adverb

afterward (or afterwards), later, latterly, subsequently, thereafter

Synonyms: Preposition

après, behind, below, following, next to, past

Synonyms: Adjective

aft, back, hind, hinder, hindmost, posterior, rear, rearward

Antonyms: Adverb

afore [chiefly dialect], ahead, antecedently, anteriorly, before, beforehand, earlier, previously

Antonyms: Preposition

afore [chiefly dialect], ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to

Antonyms: Adjective

anterior, fore, forward, front, frontal

Examples of after in a Sentence

Adverb

Don't tell them until after. I expected her then, but she arrived the week after. He ate lunch and left just after.

Preposition

We arrived shortly after six o'clock. He returned after 20 years. before, during, and after the war He left just after nightfall. He finished the exam after me. Call me after your arrival. She was going to arrive tomorrow but I'm now expecting her the day after tomorrow instead. He left after an hour. How can you say that after what happened last night? It's the highest mountain after Mount Everest.

Conjunction

He returned after 20 years had passed. Don't tell them until after they've had dinner. He left just after the show ended. Call me after you arrive. He finished the exam after I did. It happened not long after he graduated from college.

Adjective

had heard that the after section of an aircraft is safer in the event of a crash in after years the government set up a special fund for disabled veterans of the war

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Not long after, the coalition also sent a letter to the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, a major sponsor of the SHIFT Festival, urging it to stop funding from the conference. — Christine Yu, Outside Online, "What Happened at the SHIFT Festival?," 25 June 2019 It gets reported on, and then not long after, the creator gets a takedown notice. — Julie Muncy, WIRED, "Electronic Arts Says That Loot Boxes Are Basically Kinder Eggs," 21 June 2019 But each day after, their coverage goes down 1% daily. — Carol Motsinger, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio's farmland is underwater and unrecognizable. The impact will last even longer than the rain," 19 June 2019 And soon after, Hernandez left that job and moved home to New Jersey. — CBS News, "Etan Patz case: 1979 disappearance of NYC boy continues to haunt investigators," 8 June 2019 Not long after, Knight became a popular and prominent rider on Baltimore’s dirt bike scene. — Juliana Kim, baltimoresun.com, "At vigil for Baltimore 17-year-old, tributes to a dirt bike rider who inspired a neighborhood," 6 June 2019 Thankfully, the pair changed their minds about the short split and has now embarked on the path to happily ever after. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Sophie Turner Opened Up About Having a Relationship in the Public Eye and How She and Joe Jonas Once Broke Up for 24 Hours," 21 May 2019 Soon after, Jacobs left for Toronto because, in those days, the city was tearing its legacy apart instead of preserving and enhancing it. — WSJ, "Jane Jacobs’s Shadow of a Doubt for Philip Johnson," 11 Nov. 2018 Even after build-out, pockets of redevelopment will continue to change the landscape. — Diane Moca, Naperville Sun, "Naperville's top suburb in state for retail sales for 2nd consecutive year," 17 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

For a fourth quarter point-after attempt, the Trojans sent out blind long snapper Jake Olson. — Houston Mitchell, latimes.com, "Morning Briefing: It’s a dog-eat-dog-eat-dog-eat-dog-eat-dog-eat-dog world," 5 July 2019 While most celebs snapped at last night's Met Gala on the red carpet, many made sure to debut stunning looks at the after party as well. — Gianluca Russo, Teen Vogue, "Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala 2019 After Party Look Was Clearly Cher Inspired," 7 May 2019 But, even with the couple ditching the after show party together, as well as the photographic proof of a friendship between the two women, everyone is still focusing on those pesky love triangle rumors. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Bradley Cooper's Ex-Wife Posted a Cryptic Response to His Relationship With Lady Gaga," 26 Feb. 2019 Here's a before-and-after look at marijuana shops across Anchorage, some of which have transformed more dramatically than others. — Annie Zak, Anchorage Daily News, "Before and after: How retail marijuana has changed storefronts across Anchorage," 16 May 2018 So their before-and-after pictures show really dramatic improvements. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "The truth about those popular 'liquid nose jobs'," 4 May 2018 On Wednesday, the fitness influencer posted an Instagram before-and-after photo showing her postpartum body. — Blake Bakkila, Health.com, "Emily Skye Reveals She Has Changed Her Body Goals Post-Baby in Her Latest Transformation Photo," 19 Apr. 2018 Teams employ various strategies to compete for fans' sought-after entertainment dollars. — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, "Free baseball tickets? Orioles trying 'Kids Cheer Free' deal," 15 Apr. 2018 Morstead conducted more than two dozen interviews during a day that began before dawn and didn't end until well after sunset. — Jeff Duncan, NOLA.com, "Thomas Morstead's third trip to Minnesota is a rewarding one," 2 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Admission is by guided tour only, and tickets are highly sought-after. — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "Tovrea Castle: Tickets to tour the Phoenix freeway landmark go on sale July 1," 27 June 2019 Yet only certain schools, typically higher-performing ones with entrance criteria, have access to those sought-after tracks. — Talia Richman, Washington Post, "Baltimore’s vocational programs fail to equitably open doors, audit finds," 19 June 2019 Yet only certain schools, typically higher-performing ones with entrance criteria, have access to those sought-after tracks. — Talia Richman, baltimoresun.com, "'A caste system of education': Baltimore's vocational programs fail to equitably open doors, audit finds," 17 June 2019 The few families who had been able to bring with them items of value—gold smuggled out, sewn into their clothes—could trade it in the fast-emerging markets for vegetables or fruit, which were highly sought-after. — Gaia Vince, Quartz, "How to survive in the world’s largest refugee camp," 8 June 2019 Can these two very different women still find their happily ever afters? — Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, "5 books not to miss: 'Recursion' by Blake Crouch, Weiner's 'Mrs. Everything,' 'Islanders'," 8 June 2019 The official Survivor Instagram account then uploaded a series of photos showing the before and afters of Joe's noble haircut. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "'Survivor' Star Joe Anglim Is Unrecognizable After Chopping Off His Hair," 27 May 2019 Read reviews, look at images of before and afters, and choose your artist wisely. — Audrey Noble, Harper's BAZAAR, "#BeautySchool: What Is Microblading?," 2 May 2016 Check out the rest of the amazing before and afters below, and gather up some serious home inspo. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "This Company Let Kids Draw Their Dream Rooms—And Then Brought Them to Life," 19 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'after.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of after

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Conjunction

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Auxiliary verb

1778, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1902, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for after

Adverb

Middle English after, efter, going back to Old English æfter, going back to Germanic *after- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German aftar "after, behind," Old Norse eptir, Gothic aptaro), perhaps from Indo-European *h₁epi-, *h₁opi- "on, at" + *-ter-, suffix of separation and distinctness — more at epi-

Note: The initial element has alternatively been assigned to Indo-European *h₂epo-, "(away) from" (see of entry 1); cf. Sanskrit apataram, "farther off." In a Germanic context the forms may well have interacted with each other.

Preposition

Middle English after, efter, going back to Old English æfter, identical with the adverb æfter after entry 1 when governing an object

Conjunction

Middle English, elliptically for after that, from after after entry 2 + that that entry 2

Adjective

independent use of after-

Auxiliary verb

after entry 2, copying Irish prepositional constructions tar éis, i ndiaidh, etc.

Noun

by shortening

Prefix

Middle English after, going back to Old English æfter, form in composition of adverbial æfter after entry 1

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Learn More about after

Dictionary Entries near after

after-acquired evidence

after-action report

Statistics for after

Last Updated

5 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for after

The first known use of after was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for after

after

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of after

(Entry 1 of 4)

: following in time : at a later time

after

preposition

English Language Learners Definition of after (Entry 2 of 4)

: at a time following (something or someone) : later than (something or someone)

US —used to describe a time following a specified hour

: following and because of (something)

after

conjunction

English Language Learners Definition of after (Entry 3 of 4)

: later than the time that : later than when

after

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of after (Entry 4 of 4)

old-fashioned + literary : later in time

See the full definition for after in the English Language Learners Dictionary

after

adverb

af·ter | \ ˈaf-tər

\

Kids Definition of after

(Entry 1 of 3)

: following in time or place : at a later time He ate and left immediately after.

after

preposition

Kids Definition of after (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : behind in time or place They got there after me. after lunch

2 : for the reason of catching, seizing, or getting Run after the ball. They're going after the championship.

3 : following in order or in a series The number 20 comes before 21 and after 19.

4 : following the actions or departure of Don't expect me to clean up after you.

5 : with the name of He's named after his father.

after

conjunction

Kids Definition of after (Entry 3 of 3)

: following the time when I opened the door after she knocked.

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speculate

to form ideas or theories about something

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