after-party
Americannoun
-
after-parties
plural
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
Noun Inflected 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.
See Examples For:
Leto's female assistant then invited her to an after-party at Shoreditch House in east London, she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 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
The official Oscars after-party, the Governors Ball, will start immediately after the ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026
I went to the after-party at a bar across the street to congratulate Rick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
When they finally turn on the lights, Lorena tells me that we can walk to the after-party because it’s only two blocks away.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Despite attending multiple after-parties that evening, Evans said they made sure to video call their parents who were sat at home in their dressing gowns.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Outside the stadium, bars, beaches and Metro stations became theaters of drama and triumph, culminating in hours-long revelry all throughout the city at after-parties and postgame celebrations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Some worked the story, and others just went to the after-parties.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
Multiple after-parties had been booked with big-name performers.
From Slate ● May 30, 2023
See the most over-the-top looks from the gala and its after-parties.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2023
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
