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Synonyms

afterwards

British  
/ ˈɑːftəwədz /

adverb

  1. after an earlier event or time; subsequently

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of afterwards

Old English æfterweard, æfteweard, from aft + ward

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.

The official death toll from the incident is 31 people - two were killed by the explosion itself, while 28 died from Acute Radiation Sickness, and one from cardiac arrest, in the weeks afterwards.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Swana also noted that even if Malema's appeal ultimately failed and he is sent to prison, and then disqualified for five years, he could still stage a political comeback afterwards.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

You can see afterwards he’s walking on air and couldn’t be happier.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Slot has managed Ngumoha's minutes carefully, and was playing his cards close to his chest afterwards.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

‘Even our Experimental Philosophers and Physicians find, that an experiment that hits ofttimes, quite misseth afterwards on other Subjects, and they know not why. A course of effects may oft come from unknown causes.’

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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.