after-party

or af·ter·par·ty or af·ter par·ty

[ af-ter-pahr-tee, ahf- ]

noun

, plural af·ter-par·ties.

1. a usually exclusive party that takes place after a performance or other event or after the main party:

   The screening of the premiere was followed by an afterparty.

Word History and Origins

Origin of after-party¹

First recorded in 1940–45; after ( def ) + party ( def )

Example Sentences

An after-party was held at the Diamond Horseshoe nightclub at the Paramount Hotel on West 46th Street.

From The Daily Beast

After the ceremony the lead members of Nirvana headed into the hip part of town to play a secret after-party show at a nightclub.

From The Daily Beast

It was September 1996 at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in New York.

From The Daily Beast

He threw the after-party at his then-home with his wife, the national security commentator Elise Jordan.

From The Daily Beast

On the opposite end of the spectrum, hotels pitch in-room cocktails as pre-party (or after-party) fuel.

From The Daily Beast

More About After-party

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.

Where does after-party come from?

The first records of after-party in its current sense come from the 1940s. An after-party can be a party that happens after the (first) party, but the word perhaps more commonly refers to the party that happens after an event.

The problem with big parties and events is that they have to end. Enter the after-party. Depending on who you ask, the real party doesn’t actually start until the after-party.

Whether it follows an event or another party, the after-party is usually more intimate—with a smaller, more select group of people. Such after-parties may or may not be thrown by the same person who hosted the original gathering. But in most cases, they take place at a different venue, whether it’s a hotel room after the official convention party or someone’s house after a concert.

Award ceremonies like the Oscars are known for being followed by big, fancy after-parties hosted by A-list celebrities, who invite their other celebrity friends. Like a lot of after-parties, they’re known for getting a bit wild. But just wait till the after-after-party.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to after-party?

• after-after-party
• after-after-after-party
• after-after-after-after-party

What are some words that share a root or word element with after-party? 

• after
• party
• aftershow
• after-hours
• house party

What are some words that often get used in discussing after-party?

• exclusive
• intimate
• event
• official
• attend
• invite
• late
• bash
• pregame

How is after-party used in real life?

The word after-party is associated with coolness, exclusivity, and wild times. A party is fun but the after-party is where the real fun begins. Or so we’ve heard.

my mind cant comprehend what happened at the after-party still.

— gnap. (@GottaTakeA_GNAP) September 23, 2012

can we just agree that the Oscars afterparty looks are 100000% better than the Oscars red carpet looks

— interstellar (@ClNEMAH) February 29, 2016

At the @devnexus after-after party, when does the after-after-after party start?

— Billy Korando ☕️🦃🥧 #BLM (@BillyKorando) February 22, 2020

Try using after-party!

Is after-party used correctly in the following sentence? 

“I’m not going to prom, but I might go to the after-party.”