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

This is, after all, an institution that frequently has trouble passing stopgap spending bills and conducting routine legislative business. — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Raised in Forest Hills, NY, the actor has considerable Queens cred (after all, her Comedy Central show was called Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens), but she is also descended from local restaurant royalty. — Elissa Suh, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026

Tatham, after all, worked on what was once of my favorite Disneyland projects, the great but short-lived Legends of Frontierland. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Private equity firms, after all, view their funding and portfolios in terms of returns within years, not decades. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 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