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

Most of the audience joined Sayre’s family afterward at St. Cecilia’s gym for a lunch starring tamales and donuts — two of his favorite foods.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

Researchers assessed outcomes before treatment and again at six weeks, three months, six months, and 12 months afterward.

From Science Daily • Jun. 17, 2026

Strains of “Sweet Home Alabama” greet you—first the original, then, immediately afterward, the Kid Rock version—as you emerge onto a White House lawn transformed for the occasion.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

For years afterward, versions of it appeared regularly in my summer cooking rotation.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2026

They enjoyed playing music with them, and they threw parties that people talked about for months afterward.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

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