afterward
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of afterward
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English æfterweard, alteration (with -r- of æfter after ) of æfteweard, equivalent to æfte-, æftan aft 1 + -weard -ward
Explanation
If something happens afterward, it occurs after some original event or time. When kids get out of school at 2:00 p.m., teachers generally go home some time afterward. You might attend a reading by an author and then go to the reception afterward, or eat dinner with your family and then go out for ice cream afterward. You can also use the word afterwards — although afterward came first, from the Old English æftanweard, combining æftan, "after," and the direction suffix -weard. The original English form, aftward, was a nautical term.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The joint statement issued by both sides afterward did not address the issue of political prisoners.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
By the end of that year, associates said they recall seeing what looked like an engagement ring on Clark’s hand, and not long afterward, the couple wed in Italy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Instead, the outcome can be determined by what happens afterward.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
The bear incident became something of campus legend in the months afterward.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
Soon afterward, she was dismissed from her command.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
