afterword

American  

[af-ter-wurd, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌwɜrd, ˈɑf- /

noun

1. a concluding section, commentary, etc., as of a book, treatise, or the like; closing statement.

---

afterword British  

/ ˈɑːftəˌwɜːd /

noun

1. an epilogue or postscript in a book, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of afterword

First recorded in 1885–90; after + word

Explanation

In a book, the afterword comes at the very end and tells you something about how it came to be written. The afterword is often written by someone other than the book's author. An afterword is similar to a foreword — the only difference is that it comes at the end of a text, instead of at the beginning. Unlike an epilogue, which wraps up a story, an afterword is separate from the narrative, and it's rarely written by the author. Instead, it's commentary by another writer that gives the reader extra information about how the book was developed, how it fits into a historical context, or biographical details about its author.

Example Sentences

The words on the book cover are in bold, italics or all-caps, meant to seduce shoppers: With a New Afterword.

From Washington Post • Feb. 26, 2015

Kara Walker, "Afterword," is on view at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. through Jan. 17, 530 W. 22nd St., New York, sikkemajenkinsco.com.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2014

His daughter, Sarah, a novelist in her own right, offers an impeccable Afterword, masterly in its economy and weight.

From The Guardian • Jun. 15, 2013

The paperback version of my book comes out April 16 – you can pre-order it here –  and I got to take on a lot of these post-election thoughts in an Afterword.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2013

The day before yesterday I read his "Afterword."

From Letters of Anton Chekhov by Garnett, Constance