afterward

American  

[af-ter-werd, ahf-] / ˈæf tər wərd, ˈɑf- /

Or afterwards

adverb

1. at a later or subsequent time; subsequently.

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Etymology

Origin of afterward

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English æfterweard, alteration (with -r- of æfter after ) of æfteweard, equivalent to æfte-, æftan aft ¹ + -weard -ward

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Explanation

If something happens afterward, it occurs after some original event or time. When kids get out of school at 2:00 p.m., teachers generally go home some time afterward. You might attend a reading by an author and then go to the reception afterward, or eat dinner with your family and then go out for ice cream afterward. You can also use the word afterwards — although afterward came first, from the Old English æftanweard, combining æftan, "after," and the direction suffix -weard. The original English form, aftward, was a nautical term.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

afterward

“Eating a tuna sandwich in Howard Johnson’s afterward and then picking up sheet music next door for vocal lessons. Going to Lee Strasberg on Saturdays. It’s all I’ve ever done.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

Shortly afterward, October core CPI came in at 0.3%, sending bond yields surging and stock futures tumbling into the red.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

I especially love sitting down to something delicious afterward, knowing I’ve fed the muscles I just worked.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Not long afterward, an Argentinean expedition arrived and rescued the survivors, bringing their extraordinary Antarctic ordeal to an end.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

But afterward I had small random motions in my stomach, almost like hiccups.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

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Related Words

• afterwards
• eventually
• late
• later
• next
• soon
• then
• thereafter

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