after all

adverb

1

: in spite of considerations or expectations to the contrary : nevertheless

decided to take the train after all

didn't rain after all

2

: in view of all circumstances

… literature which is after all only a special department of reading.

—W. W. Watt

Examples of after all in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At face value, this sounds like routine news; after all, companies shuffle resources all the time. — Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026

Drzewiecki chimed in after all the other seniors had spoken, a moment of confidence and vulnerability that made Fleck and his staff take notice. — CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

The health benefits it is meant to finance aren’t one-time expenses, after all. — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Football rosters, after all, can number about 100 players and the sport is seen as a popular marketing anchor. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for after all

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• gossypol

Kids Definition

after all

adverb

: in spite of what was indicated or expected

decided to go after all

it rained after all