after-party

American  

[af-ter-pahr-tee, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌpɑr ti, ˈɑf- /

Or afterparty or after party

noun

• after-parties
  plural

1. a usually exclusive party that takes place after a performance or other event or after the main party.

   The screening of the premiere was followed by an afterparty.

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Usage

What is an after-party? An after-party is a party that happens after an event or after the main party. The after-party is usually smaller, less formal, and more exclusive (meaning fewer people are invited). After-parties are usually held after events like concerts, dances, weddings, and award ceremonies. Since such events are usually at least somewhat formal, the after-party is often intended as an opportunity for people to really let loose. It is also commonly seen without a hyphen (afterparty) and as two words (after party). Example: At the end of the wedding reception, the best man announced that he was having an after-party at his house for anyone who wanted to keep on partying past midnight.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• after-parties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of after-party

First recorded in 1940–45; after ( def. ) + party ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

after-party after-parties

Leto's female assistant then invited her to an after-party at Shoreditch House in east London, she says.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Pronto advertises hourly services ranging from window cleaning to "after-party express clean-ups", while Urban Company offers everything from repairs to salon treatments at the touch of a button.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

I met Gildo Zegna by the pool at the Chateau Marmont, which the previous night had hosted the after-party for the Malibu show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

The couple began dating in 2016 after meeting at a Golden Globes after-party, where they fought over an In ‘N’ Out burger, the singer previously revealed during an episode of “American Idol.”

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026

Most kids had stayed inside for some sort of basketball after-party in the gym, and anyone out here was in their car and gone within minutes.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

Outside the stadium, bars, beaches and Metro stations became theaters of drama and triumph, culminating in hours-long revelry all throughout the city at after-parties and postgame celebrations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Some worked the story, and others just went to the after-parties.

From Salon ● May 1, 2026

"We were lads from a council estate who met up to watch City games together and here we were at after-parties with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt because of Rick," said Danny Jackson.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2025

At after-parties on Monday night, there was considerable angst at just how much thinner the lineup would probably be for the next Emmys.

From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

Multiple after-parties had been booked with big-name performers.

From Slate ● May 30, 2023