after-party
Americannoun
Usage
What is an after-party? An after-party is a party that happens after an event or after the main party. The after-party is usually smaller, less formal, and more exclusive (meaning fewer people are invited). After-parties are usually held after events like concerts, dances, weddings, and award ceremonies. Since such events are usually at least somewhat formal, the after-party is often intended as an opportunity for people to really let loose. It is also commonly seen without a hyphen (afterparty) and as two words (after party). Example: At the end of the wedding reception, the best man announced that he was having an after-party at his house for anyone who wanted to keep on partying past midnight.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of after-party
First recorded in 1940–45; after ( def. ) + party ( def. )
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.
While celebrating City's WSL success in the Co-Op Live after-party of a club parade on Monday, Shaw was asked to address the "elephant in the room" in front of 19,000 fans.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
The official Oscars after-party, the Governors Ball, will start immediately after the ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
Hundreds of pounds of caviar, black truffle, sushi and tomahawk steak have been shipped to Hollywood for the traditional lavish Oscars after-party this Sunday.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
Following dinner and dancing, the couple got everyone on a bus and headed to an after-party, which went until they “kicked everyone out” at 2 a.m.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 29, 2025
Most kids had stayed inside for some sort of basketball after-party in the gym, and anyone out here was in their car and gone within minutes.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
