1
a
: behind in place
people lined up one after another
b(1)
: subsequent to in time or order
20 minutes after 6
(2)
: subsequent to and in view of
after all our advice
2
—used to indicate the object of a stated or implied action
go after gold
was asking after you
3
: so as to resemble: such as
a
: in accordance with
He's a man after my own heart.
b
: with the name of or a name derived from that of
named after his father
c
: in the characteristic manner of : in imitation of
writing after the manner of Hurston
see also:
: subsequently to the time when
We will come after we make plans.
1
: later in time
in after years
2
[Middle English, probably from afte aft entry 1 + -er -er entry 1]
: located toward the rear and especially toward the stern of a ship or tail of an aircraft
an after cabin
af·ter
ˈäf-tər 
chiefly Ireland
—used with a present participle to indicate action completed and especially just completed
The poor old man is after dying on me …—
J. M. Synge
J. M. Synge1
a
—used as the first part of a compound to indicate an event or entity that follows or results from the thing denoted by the second part of the compound
afterbirth
afterlife
afternoon
b
—used as the first part of a compound to indicate an event or entity of the same nature as the thing denoted by the second part of the compound but which follows that event or entity and is less intense or significant
afterglow
aftershock
afterthought
2
—the rear or lower part
afterdeck
Synonyms of after
Relevance
Adverb
Preposition
Adjective
Examples of after in a Sentence
Adverb
Don't tell them until after.
I expected her then, but she arrived the week after.
He ate lunch and left just after.
Preposition
We arrived shortly after six o'clock.
He returned after 20 years.
before, during, and after the war
He left just after nightfall.
He finished the exam after me.
Call me after your arrival.
She was going to arrive tomorrow but I'm now expecting her the day after tomorrow instead.
He left after an hour.
How can you say that after what happened last night?
It's the highest mountain after Mount Everest.
Conjunction
He returned after 20 years had passed.
Don't tell them until after they've had dinner.
He left just after the show ended.
Call me after you arrive.
He finished the exam after I did.
It happened not long after he graduated from college.
Adjective
had heard that the after section of the cruise ship had more spacious cabins
in after years the government set up a special fund for disabled veterans of the war
Recent Examples on the Web
Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Shortly after, the director saw Holbrook playing Johnny Cash in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and was astounded by the actor’s range.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Atlanta had been building momentum throughout the second half, outshooting Orlando 15-4 after the break.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 May 2026
More than a music festival, Comps Fest and its after parties is a cultural gathering.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Joe Otterson, Variety, 19 May 2026
The illness, its management, is the ever-after.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for after
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adverb
The second followed soon after.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Shortly after, the director saw Holbrook playing Johnny Cash in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and was astounded by the actor’s range.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Preposition
Walter, who had left the Progressive Labor Party, didn’t preach Marxism to his son, but Riley embraced a radical-left viewpoint on his own, after tagging along with some cute older girls who were participating in a cannery workers’ strike.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Atlanta had been building momentum throughout the second half, outshooting Orlando 15-4 after the break.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
Adjective
Partying With The Club Kids The dinner was lively and fun but the decibel levels were mere whispers compared to the music DJ Bobby Beethoven was blasting out at the after party for Jordan Firstman’s feature sensation Club Kid.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 May 2026
More than a music festival, Comps Fest and its after parties is a cultural gathering.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Noun
The after-show will launch with a special preview episode on May 24 on AMC+ before the series launch on June 7.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 19 May 2026
The illness, its management, is the ever-after.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for after
Cite this Entry
“After.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/after. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
after
2 of 4 preposition1
a
: behind in time or place
following after us
after dinner
b
: below in rank or order
the highest mountain after Mount Everest
2
: for the reason of catching, seizing, or getting
ran after the ball
go after gold
3
a
: with the name of or a name derived from that of
named after his father
b
: in imitation of
patterned after a Gothic cathedral
after
3 of 4 conjunction
: later than the time when
opened the door after she knocked
after
4 of 4 adjective1
: later in time
in after years
2
: located toward the stern of a ship or tail of an aircraft
Etymology
Adverb
Old English æfter "behind, later"
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