afterlife
Americannoun
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Also called future life. life after death.
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the later part of a person's life.
the remarkably productive afterlife of Thomas Jefferson.
noun
Etymology
Origin of afterlife
Explanation
Afterlife is a noun describing the state of being after one’s death. Many cultures and religions have a concept of an afterlife. Otherwise, much of humanity would be quite uneasy. In Eastern religions, there is a notion of “karma” or even of “nirvana,” where, after a person dies, reincarnation takes the soul to a more elevated form of life. The Judeo-Christian tradition trusts in “heaven”; the ancient Egyptians buried precious belongings with their dead to accompany them to the afterlife. Regardless of origin, most religions want people to believe that life doesn't stop when your pulse does.
Vocabulary lists containing afterlife
Ancient Egypt - Introductory
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Ancient Egypt - Middle School and High School
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King Tut Day
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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.
"It could also reflect a further change in ritual practice, with an animal taking on the role of a psychopomp, a symbolic helper in the journey to the afterlife," added Molinero Polo.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
The deeper lesson, though, is that a constitutional right’s popular origins do not guarantee a democratic afterlife.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Paris’s Grand Palais has played an outsize role in the life and afterlife of Henri Matisse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
It has had a long, international afterlife; you can watch it now on Disney+.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
And so he set into “Shall We Gather at the River?” as the most peaceful hymn he knew, even if it was about the afterlife.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
