aftermath
Americannoun
noun
-
signs or results of an event or occurrence considered collectively, esp of a catastrophe or disaster
the aftermath of war
-
agriculture a second mowing or crop of grass from land that has already yielded one crop earlier in the same year
Etymology
Origin of aftermath
1515–25; after + math a mowing, Old English mǣth; cognate with Old High German mād ( German Mahd ); akin to mow 1
Explanation
The aftermath of a car crash might include a broken fender, a sprained rib, and a lecture from a police officer. The consequences of an unpleasant event make up its aftermath. The math in aftermath does not refer to adding or subtracting numbers, rather it is related to a Germanic word for mowing, or harvest. If you have been mowed down by a class of excited first graders, the aftermath might be a bruised knee, a headache from all of the squealing, and red face from embarrassment.
Vocabulary lists containing aftermath
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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.
Traffic collisions dropped precipitously in the aftermath of the 2025 Palisades fire, when the road was closed for weeks and then reopened with strict speed limits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Despite a search of the park with helicopters equipped with heat-detection cameras, police were not able to locate the suspect in the immediate aftermath.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Marcus Rashford's World Cup ended with a considered and thoughtful social media post, issued in the aftermath of England's amazing 6-4 third-place play-off victory over France in Miami.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Vitalii Vyshnevskiy, an engineer with DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, was called this spring to attend the aftermath of a strike on one of Odesa’s substations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many family members had fled New Orleans and were now living hundreds of miles away.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
