after
Americanpreposition
-
behind in place or position; following behind.
men lining up one after the other.
-
later in time than; in succession to; at the close of.
Tell me after supper. Day after day he came to work late.
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subsequent to and in consequence of.
After what has happened, I can never return.
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below in rank or excellence; nearest to.
Milton is usually placed after Shakespeare among English poets.
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in imitation of or in imitation of the style of.
to make something after a model; fashioned after Raphael.
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in pursuit or search of; with or in desire for.
I'm after a better job. Run after him!
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concerning; about.
to inquire after a person.
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with the name of; for.
He was named after his uncle.
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in proportion to; in accordance with.
He was a man after the hopes and expectations of his father.
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according to the nature of; in conformity with; in agreement or unison with.
He was a man after my own heart. He swore after the manner of his faith.
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subsequent to and notwithstanding; in spite of.
After all their troubles, they still manage to be optimistic.
adverb
-
behind; in the rear.
Jill came tumbling after.
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later in time; afterward.
three hours after; happily ever after.
adjective
-
later in time; next; subsequent; succeeding.
In after years we never heard from him.
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Nautical, Aeronautics.
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farther aft.
-
located closest to the stern or tail; aftermost.
after hold; after mast.
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including the stern or tail.
the after part of a hull.
-
conjunction
noun
idioms
preposition
-
following in time; in succession to
after dinner
time after time
-
following; behind
they entered one after another
-
in pursuit or search of
chasing after a thief
he's only after money
-
concerning
to inquire after his health
-
considering
after what you have done, you shouldn't complain
-
next in excellence or importance to
he ranked Jonson after Shakespeare
-
in imitation of; in the manner of
a statue after classical models
-
in accordance with or in conformity to
a man after her own heart
-
with a name derived from
Mary was named after her grandmother
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past (the hour of)
twenty after three
-
-
in spite of everything
it's only a game, after all
-
in spite of expectations, efforts, etc
he won the race after all!
-
-
please go, enter, etc, before me
adverb
-
at a later time; afterwards
-
coming afterwards; in pursuit
-
nautical further aft; sternwards
conjunction
adjective
Related Words
See behind.
Etymology
Origin of after
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English æfter; cognate with Old Frisian efter, Old Saxon, Old High German after, Gothic aftaro, Old Norse eptir; equivalent to æf- ( aft 1 ) + -ter, suffix of comparison (cognate with Greek -teros; presbyter ( 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.
Displays app/URL shortcuts in the app after a successful connection — a bit of a silly “feature.”
From Salon
The BBC spoke to several residents in a Johannesburg suburb, Eldorado Park, a few weeks after soldiers arrived in the area.
From BBC
Many will hope for some insight on how the war ends and what might come after.
From BBC
Many “return to office” mandates and expectations started as decrees from C-suite executives, after the pandemic broadened the appeal of working from home.
From MarketWatch
Yet a seeming recovery in manufacturing after a prolonged slump faces fresh obstacles, the most notable being the conflict with Iran.
From MarketWatch
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.
