aft
adverb
at, close to, or toward the stern or tail.
aft
1 American
[aft, ahft]
/ æft, ɑft /
adverb
adjective
aft
2
American
[aft, ahft]
/ æft, ɑft /
adverb
Scot.
aft.
3
American
abbreviation
A.F.T.
4
American
abbreviation
aft
British
/ ɑːft /
adverb
Etymology
Origin of aft
before 950; Middle English afte, Old English æftan from behind, equivalent to æf- opposite + -t- suffix of uncertain value + -an suffix marking motion from; cognate with Old Frisian efta, Old Saxon, Old High German aftan, Gothic aftana, Old Norse aptan, Greek opís ( s ) ō behind; not akin to Greek apó off
Explanation
When something's at the back of a boat, it's aft. You might instruct a passenger on your sailboat to move aft while you adjust the sails. Aft, which can be used as an adverb or an adjective, is almost solely used in nautical or aeronautical terminology — in other words, when you're talking about a boat, ship, or airplane. Flight attendants usually start at the front of the cabin and move aft as they dole out drinks and pretzels, and they might instruct you to stow your huge bag in an aft compartment. The Old English root is æftan, "from behind or farthest back."
Vocabulary lists containing aft
The Cay
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"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
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Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 2
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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.
See Examples For:
The hellscape worsened when U.S. aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru on Dec. 14, one day after leaving port, and again on Dec. 15, setting the aft deck ablaze and dealing the ship its final blows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
From their tables in the “Northwind’s” aft section, Vaughn, seated with Gonzalez and a group of new acquaintances, says she definitely will return.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
Two tunnels ran from fore to aft, right beneath the deck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025
“Let’s get everyone off the ship and onto the dock,” Willcox said, and padded aft in his bare feet.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
To “gang aft agley” means to “often go astray.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
I've got a date for the mat., this aft., so ta-ta.
From Uncle Terry A Story of the Maine Coast by Charles Clark Munn
"Shorten sail to the taupsles and jib, get the colors ready on the halyards, and then send the men aft.…"
From Great Sea Stories by Joseph Lewis French
I have my sister and a dream cousin of ours from Hartford here this aft. and I'm eager to show them how I can pound a public road with a rowdy-cart.
From Get Next! by Hugh McHugh
He had been to breakfast with the beautiful Mrs. Wadsworth, & was on his way, to breakfast at 3 in the aft. with the Duchess of St. Albans.
From Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Notably, both the A.F.T. and Moms for Liberty have argued for more effective early reading instruction, including a focus on foundational phonics skills.
From New York Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
Gates appears to have been chastened by his experience with the A.F.T.
From New York Times ● Sep. 5, 2014
In Newark, New Jersey’s largest city, A.F.T. organizers have signaled that they will work with Christie on changes to the pension and health care system, in addition to negotiating on issues like merit pay.
From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2011
The A.F.T. has been quietly debating the pros and cons of merit pay for several months, realizing that it could not just flatly reject the concept in today's charged atmosphere.
From Time Magazine Archive
The A.F.T. wants to upgrade standards, including emphasis on testing both students and beginning teachers, changing curriculum to strengthen academic requirements and increasing homework assignments.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
