after

1 of 7

adverb

af·​ter ˈaf-tər 

: following in time or place : afterward, behind, later

we arrived shortly after

returned 20 years after

after

2 of 7

preposition

1

a

: 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 gold

was 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 Hurston

see also:

take after

after

3 of 7

conjunction

: subsequently to the time when

We will come after we make plans.

after

4 of 7

adjective

1

: later in time

in after years

2

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

an after cabin

after

5 of 7

auxiliary verb

af·​ter ˈäf-tər 

chiefly Ireland

—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

6 of 7

noun

: afternoon

after-

7 of 7

prefix

1

a

—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

afterbirth

afterlife

afternoon

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

afterglow

aftershock

afterthought

2

—the rear or lower part

afterdeck

Synonyms of after

Adverb

• later
• afterward
• thereafter

Preposition

• following
• behind
• past
• since

Adjective

• back
• rear

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 the cruise ship had more spacious cabins

in after years the government set up a special fund for disabled veterans of the war

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The highlight of a treatment may well be the moments before and after, sipping the juices and teas brewed from the herbs just plucked from the grounds. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026

The suspect sprinted out of the store right after. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026

Preposition

Global art markets saw modest growth in 2025 after two years of decline — but the recovery is partial and fragile. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026

Lucy Nicholson | Reuters Oil prices pared gains on Thursday after Brent crude briefly touched $100 a barrel, as attacks were reported on three more cargo ships in the Persian Gulf and traders reacted to the IEA's move to release government stockpiles. —Sam Meredith,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Price is $310 for members, $350 for non-members and $10 per day for the after camp. —Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026

The Oscar winner paired the heels with an oversize Louis Vuitton coat in black for the after party. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 23 Feb. 2026

Noun

The gardens, landscaped in both French and English styles, are well kept-after and lush; the rooms feature curved high ceilings and bold washes of paint; the ornate 19th-century furniture is original to the chateau. —Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2026

Look no further than Instagram to understand how a stream of glamorous before-and-after photos creates demand for med-spa treatments. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing after

• after a fashion
• after all
• after a sort
• after a while
• after-hours
• after one's own heart
• after-party
• after-sales
• after-school
• after-tax
• after-the-fact
• after the hour
• (a) quarter after
• ask after
• clean up after
• come after
• day after day
• ever after
• fore-and-after
• get after
• go after
• go after someone's scalp
• inquire after
• keep after
• lived happily ever after
• live happily ever after
• look after
• model oneself after
• month after month
• moon after
• morning after pill
• night after night
• one after another
• one right after the other
• one thing after another
• pattern oneself after
• pick up after (someone)
• pine after
• run after
• see after
• shortly after
• sought-after
• take after
• take off after
• tidy up after (someone)
• time after time
• trail (along) behind/after
• week after next
• week after week

Rhymes for after

• drafter
• laughter
• rafter
• hereafter
• thereafter
• hereinafter
• thereinafter

Kids Definition

after

1 of 4 adverb

af·​ter ˈaf-tər 

: following in time or place : later, behind

after

2 of 4 preposition

1

a

: behind in time or place

following after us

after dinner

b

: below in rank or order

the highest mountain after Mount Everest

2

: for the reason of catching, seizing, or getting

ran after the ball

go after gold

3

a

: with the name of or a name derived from that of

named after his father

b

: in imitation of

patterned after a Gothic cathedral

after

3 of 4 conjunction

: later than the time when

opened the door after she knocked

after

4 of 4 adjective

1

: later in time

in after years

2

: located toward the stern of a ship or tail of an aircraft

Etymology

Adverb

Old English æfter "behind, later"