✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

afterload

noun

af·​ter·​load ˈaf-tər-ˌlōd How to pronounce afterload (audio)
: the force against which a ventricle contracts that is contributed to by the vascular resistance especially of the arteries and by the physical characteristics (as mass and viscosity) of the blood

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Afterload.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/afterload. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!