after

American  

[af-ter, ahf-] / ˈæf tər, ˈɑf- /

preposition

1. behind in place or position; following behind.

   men lining up one after the other.

2. later in time than; in succession to; at the close of.

   Tell me after supper. Day after day he came to work late.

3. subsequent to and in consequence of.

   After what has happened, I can never return.

4. below in rank or excellence; nearest to.

   Milton is usually placed after Shakespeare among English poets.

5. in imitation of or in imitation of the style of.

   to make something after a model; fashioned after Raphael.

6. in pursuit or search of; with or in desire for.

   I'm after a better job. Run after him!

7. concerning; about.

   to inquire after a person.

8. with the name of; for.

   He was named after his uncle.

9. in proportion to; in accordance with.

   He was a man after the hopes and expectations of his father.

10. according to the nature of; in conformity with; in agreement or unison with.

    He was a man after my own heart. He swore after the manner of his faith.

11. subsequent to and notwithstanding; in spite of.

    After all their troubles, they still manage to be optimistic.

---

adverb

1. behind; in the rear.

   Jill came tumbling after.

2. later in time; afterward.

   three hours after; happily ever after.

adjective

1. later in time; next; subsequent; succeeding.

   In after years we never heard from him.

2. Nautical, Aeronautics.

   1. farther aft.

   2. located closest to the stern or tail; aftermost.

      after hold; after mast.

   3. including the stern or tail.

      the after part of a hull.

conjunction

1. subsequent to the time that.

   after the boys left.

noun

1. British Informal. afters, the final course of a meal, as pudding, ice cream, or the like; dessert.

idioms

1. after all, despite what has occurred or been assumed previously; nevertheless.

   I've discovered I can attend the meeting after all.

after British  

/ ˈɑːftə /

preposition

1. following in time; in succession to

   after dinner

   time after time

2. following; behind

   they entered one after another

3. in pursuit or search of

   chasing after a thief

   he's only after money

4. concerning

   to inquire after his health

5. considering

   after what you have done, you shouldn't complain

6. next in excellence or importance to

   he ranked Jonson after Shakespeare

7. in imitation of; in the manner of

   a statue after classical models

8. in accordance with or in conformity to

   a man after her own heart

9. with a name derived from

   Mary was named after her grandmother

10. past (the hour of)

    twenty after three

11. 1. in spite of everything

       it's only a game, after all

    2. in spite of expectations, efforts, etc

       he won the race after all!

12. please go, enter, etc, before me

---

adverb

1. at a later time; afterwards

2. coming afterwards; in pursuit

3. nautical further aft; sternwards

conjunction

1. (subordinating) at a time later than that at which

   he came after I had left

adjective

1. nautical further aft

   the after cabin

after More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing after

• day after day
• get after
• go after
• inquire after
• keep after
• live happily ever after
• look after
• morning after
• name after
• run after
• see after
• sought after
• take after
• throw good money after bad
• time after time

---

Related Words

See behind.

Etymology

Origin of after

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English æfter; cognate with Old Frisian efter, Old Saxon, Old High German after, Gothic aftaro, Old Norse eptir; equivalent to æf- ( see aft ¹) + -ter, suffix of comparison (cognate with Greek -teros; cf. presbyter ( def. ))

Explanation

After is a preposition meaning "later in time" or "behind in space." After many hours of dancing, you'll be sweaty and hungry. You can use this word in the context of time: "Meet me after dinner and we'll take a walk." After can also refer to space: "My street is after the first stoplight." Finally, after can be an adverb: "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after." If you like ships, you'll recognize the relationship of after to aft, which means the rear part of the ship.

Example Sentences

Shake Shack isn’t the first restaurant chain to offer a rib sandwich after the success of the McRib, which was first introduced in 1981 and has come back periodically.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

A database maintained by University of Florida business professor Jay Ritter shows that the three-year average buy-and-hold return is negative for unprofitable companies after their IPOs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

But these actors are after more than a prestige showcase.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Volume, a gauge of the amount of product sold, rose 3% overall, despite a pullback in March after the start of the Iran war.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

“Have you said, ‘Dad, I have to get my homework done first, and if I have time after that, I’ll help you’?”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam