aft

¹ American  

[aft, ahft] / æft, ɑft /

adverb

1. at, close to, or toward the stern or tail.

   Stow the luggage aft.

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adjective

1. situated toward or at the stern or tail.

   The aft sail was luffing.

aft ² American  

[aft, ahft] / æft, ɑft /

adverb

Scot.

1. oft.

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aft. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. afternoon.

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A.F.T. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. American Federation of Teachers.

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aft British  

/ ɑːft /

adverb

1. nautical towards or at the stern or rear

   the aft deck

   aft of the engines

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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

Example Sentences

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

The FAA airworthiness directive on the 787 states that “damage was found during overhaul on multiple inlets around the Engine Anti-Ice duct within the inlet aft compartment.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2024

Standing on the aft deck of a modified 13-meter fishing boat in Halifax Harbour, Dariia Atamanchuk gazes at both a cause of the climate crisis and, she hopes, part of the solution.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 30, 2023

A pair of half-men waited at the gangway, keeping guard and another pair were on the ship fore and aft.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi