After — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb preposition conjunction adjective auxiliary verb noun /ˈaf-tər/ (adverb) /ˈäf-tər/ (auxiliary verb) af·ter

Meaning & Definition of After

After (adverb)

  1. following in time or place, afterward, behind, later

After (preposition)

  1. behind in place
  2. subsequent to in time or order
  3. subsequent to and in view of

After (conjunction)

  1. subsequently to the time when

After (adjective)

  1. later in time
  2. located toward the rear and especially toward the stern of a ship or tail of an aircraft

After (auxiliary verb)

  1. —used with a present participle to indicate action completed and especially just completed

After (noun)

  1. a relatively late period (as of time or life)
  2. the part of the day between noon and usually sunset, afternoon

After (preposition) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. subsequent to in time or order

    "the brass band came right after the mayor in the parade"

    similar: après, behind, below, following, next to, past
    related: since
    opposite: afore (chiefly dialect), ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to
    near: toward

After (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. following in time or place

    "upon seeing The Nutcracker for the first time, and for a long time after, Irma wanted to play the part of the Mouse King"

    similar: afterward, later, latterly, subsequently, thereafter
    related: next, by and by, hereafter, presently, since, soon, then, thereupon, hereinbelow, infra
    opposite: afore (chiefly dialect), ahead, antecedently, anteriorly, before, beforehand, earlier, previously
    near: formerly, heretofore, theretofore

After (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being at or in the part of something opposite the front part

    "had heard that the after section of the cruise ship had more spacious cabins"

    similar: aft, back, hind, hinder, hindmost, posterior, rear, rearward
    related: dorsal
    opposite: anterior, fore, forward, front, frontal
    near: ventral

  2. being, occurring, or carried out at a time after something else

    "in after years the government set up a special fund for disabled veterans of the war"

    similar: ensuing, later, posterior, subsequent
    related: behind, belated, delayed, late, slow, closing, concluding, eventual, final, last, latest, latter, terminal, ultimate, following
    opposite: antecedent, anterior, fore, foregoing, former, precedent, preceding, previous, prior
    near: advance, advanced, early, premature

Related Entry: After a fashion (phrase)

After a fashion is a different word from After. The synonyms below are for after a fashion, not for after.

  1. close to but not exactly

    "He can knit after a fashion, but a sweater may be a tall order."

    similar: about, approximately, around, like, more or less, much, near, plus or minus, roughly, say, some, somewhere about, somewhere around
    related: generally, kind of, loosely, nearly, nominally, practically, virtually, well-nigh
    opposite: exactly, precisely
    near: due, even, just, sharp, smack-dab, squarely

Related Entry: After a sort (phrase)

After a sort is a different word from After. The synonyms below are for after a sort, not for after.

  1. to some degree or extent

    "He's a jogger, after a sort."

    similar: enough, fairly, kindly (chiefly Southern), kind of, like, moderately, more or less, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of, a bit, a little, a mite, a tad, a touch, of sorts, to a degree
    related: acceptably, decently, passably, tolerably, little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, vaguely, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway
    near: awfully, beastly, deadly, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, frightfully, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, mightily, mortally, particularly, surpassingly, terribly, very, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially

Related Entry: After all (adverb)

After all is a different word from After. The synonyms below are for after all, not for after.

  1. as in however, nevertheless

    similar: however, nevertheless, anyhow, anyway, anyways (chiefly dialect), regardless, whatever, always

Related Entry: Get after (phrase)

Get after is a different word from After. The synonyms below are for get after, not for after.

  1. to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault

    "My professor got after me about my overdue assignments."

    similar: admonish, chide, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, tick off, burn one's ears, get on
    related: berate, castigate, chew out, dress down, flay, harangue, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste, lecture, rail (at or against), rate, scold, score, upbraid, abuse, assail, attack, bad-mouth, blame, blast, censure, condemn, criticize, crucify, denounce, dis (slang), excoriate, fault, knock, lash, pan, reprehend, slam, belittle, deprecate, disparage, minimize, mock, put down, deride, ridicule, scoff, scorn
    near: approve, endorse, OK, sanction, applaud, extol, hail, laud, praise, salute, tout

Related Entry: Look after (phrase)

Look after is a different word from After. The synonyms below are for look after, not for after.

  1. to attend to the needs and comforts of

    "She didn't have many patients to look after and so they each received a lot of attention."

    similar: administer (to), care (for), minister (to), mother, nurse, do for (chiefly British), look out for, look to, see to, take care of, wait on
    related: cure, heal, remedy, doctor, treat, aid, conserve, preserve, provide (for), support, baby, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil, cater (to), humor, indulge
    near: brush (aside or off), forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, slight

  2. to take charge of especially on behalf of another

    "With so many children to look after they had to call in another caregiver."

    similar: attend, care (for), mind, oversee, superintend, supervise, tend, watch, see after, see to, take care of
    related: administrate, conduct, control, direct, govern, guide, manage, operate, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, guard, patrol, protect, safeguard, shield, baby, babysit, chaperone, mother, shepherd
    near: abandon, disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, pass over

Related Entry: Run after (phrase)

Run after is a different word from After. The synonyms below are for run after, not for after.

  1. to go after or on the track of

    "She ran after the puppy that escaped from the yard."

    similar: bird-dog, chase, course, dog, follow, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trail
    related: accompany, chaperone, escort, hunt, search (for), seek, eye, observe, watch
    opposite: guide, lead, pilot
    near: head

Related Entry: See after (phrase)

See after is a different word from After. The synonyms below are for see after, not for after.

  1. to take charge of especially on behalf of another

    "Please see after the cat while I'm away."

    similar: attend, care (for), mind, oversee, superintend, supervise, tend, watch, look after, see to, take care of
    related: administrate, conduct, control, direct, govern, guide, manage, operate, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, guard, patrol, protect, safeguard, shield, baby, babysit, chaperone, mother, shepherd
    near: abandon, disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, pass over

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for After

The most common words with a similar meaning to After:

après, behind, below, following, next to, past, afterward, later, latterly, subsequently, thereafter, aft, back, hind, hinder, hindmost, posterior, rear, rearward, ensuing, subsequent

Antonyms & Opposite Words for After

Words with the opposite meaning of After:

afore, ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to, ahead, antecedently, anteriorly, beforehand, earlier, previously, anterior, fore, forward, front, frontal, antecedent, foregoing, former, precedent, preceding, previous, prior

Related Words for After

since, next, by and by, hereafter, presently, soon, then, thereupon, hereinbelow, infra, dorsal, belated, delayed, late, slow, closing, concluding, eventual, final, last, latest, latter, terminal, ultimate

Near Antonyms of After

toward, formerly, heretofore, theretofore, ventral, advance, advanced, early, premature

Word Forms of After

Inflections: afters

Origin & Etymology of After

Middle English after, efter, going back to Old English æfter, going back to Germanic *after- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German aftar "after, behind," Old Norse eptir, Gothic aptaro), perhaps from Indo-European *h1epi-, *h1opi- "on, at" + *-ter-, suffix of separation and distinctness epi-

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for After

  • Topics: Grammar Function Words

Words & Phrases Containing After

after-, after a fashion, after all, after a sort

Frequently Asked Questions about After

What does "After" mean?

"After" means following in time or place, afterward, behind, later. As an an adverb, a preposition, a conjunction, an adjective, an auxiliary verb and a noun, it is defined as: following in time or place, afterward, behind, later. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "After"?

Other words for "After" include après, behind, below, following, next to, past, afterward and later. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "After" you intend.

What are different ways to say "After"?

There are 45 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "After". Common alternatives include après, behind, below, following, next to, past, afterward, later, latterly and subsequently.

What is the opposite of "After"?

Antonyms of "After" include afore, ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to and to. Near antonyms include toward, formerly, heretofore and theretofore.

How do you use "After" in a sentence?

Examples of "After" in a sentence: "the brass band came right after the mayor in the parade"; "upon seeing The Nutcracker for the first time, and for a long time after, Irma wanted to play the part of the Mouse King"; "had heard that the after section of the cruise ship had more spacious cabins".

Is "After" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"After" can be used as an adverb, a preposition, a conjunction, an adjective, an auxiliary verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "After"?

"After" is pronounced /ˈaf-tər/ as an adverb and /ˈäf-tər/ as an auxiliary verb and divided into syllables as af·ter.

What is the origin of the word "After"?

"After" comes from Middle English after, efter, going back to Old English æfter, going back to Germanic *after- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German aftar "after, behind," Old Norse eptir, Gothic aptaro), perhaps from Indo-European *h1epi-, *h1opi- "on, at" + *-ter-, suffix of separation and distinctness epi-. First known use: before 12th century.