What does after-hours mean? After-hours describes something that happens after normal or legal hours of operation for a business or service, as in The after-hours party starts as soon as the bar closes for the night. After-hours can describe something that happens after its normal time, such as a business meeting that takes place after the close of the business day. In the US, many business offices close at 5 pm. A meeting that took place at 7 pm, for example, would be an after-hours meeting. After-hours can also describe something that happens after the allotted time. It’s generally used in situations in which something can be conducted after a business or program has ended and will still be honored. This use is most often used in reference to the stock market and investing, such as in the phrase after-hours trading. The New York Stock Exchange, for example, is only open from 9:30 am to 4 pm, but trading can be conducted at any time of the day. Finally, after-hours can simply describe something that happens late at night. You might find a restaurant that serves an after-hours breakfast, meaning they serve breakfast foods late at night, especially after midnight. Example: Joanie tried after-hours trading but found that she made more money during regular trading hours.
First recorded in 1925–30
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Thursday Amazon jumped by more than 9% in after-hours trading in New York on Thursday, while Microsoft gained more than 15%.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
That stock jumped in after-hours trading after the company beat analysts’ expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Shares in Coinbase fell 5.6% to $154.36 in after-hours trading on Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Shares in Meta were down as much as 12 percent in after-hours trading, a sign of analyst skepticism over the scale of the company's AI spending.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
A professor gave him a key for after-hours access to the library, where he spent much of his free time.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Amazon stock jumped by more than 7 percent after hours.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Microsoft also reported its quarterly and full year results on Wednesday and it bucked a trend of declining tech stocks, with shares rising 5% in after hours trading.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Some of the babies passed after hours, some longer.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
Shares of Crinetics more than doubled after hours to $84.77, after closing the regular trading at $42.03.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Stay close to Ron and Hermione, do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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.
