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

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

Even more emailed afterward to find out how they could line up some work experience, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Only afterward does it hit us that Mackenzie has really made a thriller about trust.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Cambridge Associates concluded afterward that the high-quality private-credit managers had spotted the warning signs early and avoided both situations, while banks, broadly syndicated loan funds and rating agencies did not.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

For other companies, the uncertainty around when the war ends and what the Middle East looks like afterward has muddied forecasts.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Sister would set the table, and afterward I’d help wash and dry the dishes.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

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