after
Americanpreposition
-
behind in place or position; following behind.
men lining up one after the other.
-
later in time than; in succession to; at the close of.
Tell me after supper. Day after day he came to work late.
-
subsequent to and in consequence of.
After what has happened, I can never return.
-
below in rank or excellence; nearest to.
Milton is usually placed after Shakespeare among English poets.
-
in imitation of or in imitation of the style of.
to make something after a model; fashioned after Raphael.
-
in pursuit or search of; with or in desire for.
I'm after a better job. Run after him!
-
concerning; about.
to inquire after a person.
-
with the name of; for.
He was named after his uncle.
-
in proportion to; in accordance with.
He was a man after the hopes and expectations of his father.
-
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.
-
subsequent to and notwithstanding; in spite of.
After all their troubles, they still manage to be optimistic.
adverb
-
behind; in the rear.
Jill came tumbling after.
-
later in time; afterward.
three hours after; happily ever after.
adjective
-
later in time; next; subsequent; succeeding.
In after years we never heard from him.
-
Nautical, Aeronautics.
-
farther aft.
-
located closest to the stern or tail; aftermost.
after hold; after mast.
-
including the stern or tail.
the after part of a hull.
-
conjunction
noun
idioms
preposition
-
following in time; in succession to
after dinner
time after time
-
following; behind
they entered one after another
-
in pursuit or search of
chasing after a thief
he's only after money
-
concerning
to inquire after his health
-
considering
after what you have done, you shouldn't complain
-
next in excellence or importance to
he ranked Jonson after Shakespeare
-
in imitation of; in the manner of
a statue after classical models
-
in accordance with or in conformity to
a man after her own heart
-
with a name derived from
Mary was named after her grandmother
-
past (the hour of)
twenty after three
-
-
in spite of everything
it's only a game, after all
-
in spite of expectations, efforts, etc
he won the race after all!
-
-
please go, enter, etc, before me
adverb
-
at a later time; afterwards
-
coming afterwards; in pursuit
-
nautical further aft; sternwards
conjunction
adjective
Synonym Usage
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At least 10 people have died after a boat thought to be carrying migrants capsized near Malta, the Italian coast guard has said.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The Danish drugmaker said late Sunday that the pill hit one million prescriptions 12 weeks after reaching U.S. pharmacies and online providers, with a further two million prescriptions achieved in the following 10 weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
But after struggling on the road before losing consecutive games at home against Las Vegas and Dallas amid a three-game losing streak, the Sparks needed something to go right.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
A powerful 6.1 aftershock hit the area about two hours after the first quake, according to the USGS.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
But it’s futile, because after lunch, as I go rushing to my locker, who is right behind me?
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
