What does after mean?
After is one of the most fundamental words in English, functioning chiefly as a preposition that expresses what comes later in time ('after dinner'), what follows in sequence ('after chapter two'), or what someone pursues ('running after the bus'). It can also signal imitation, as when a work of art is described as being 'after' a famous painter, meaning made in that artist's style. As an adverb, it simply means at a later time. The word carries no emotional weight on its own, which makes it endlessly versatile: it structures narratives, schedules, instructions, and descriptions of cause and effect. Its roots reach back to Old English 'æfter', with cognates across the early Germanic languages, making it among the oldest vocabulary still in daily use. Derived forms such as 'afterwards', 'afterlife', and 'aftermath' extend its reach into how we talk about consequences, endings, and everything that follows.
Later than or following in time or order; behind in pursuit; in imitation of.
"She felt much better after a good night's sleep."
At a later time; subsequently.
"They arrived at noon, and the others came soon after."
"After" comes from an Old English word so ancient that its cousins survive in Gothic and Old Norse — making it one of the oldest words you'll say today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of after
After descends from the Old English 'æfter', which itself traces back to Proto-Germanic '*aft(a)ra-', a comparative form meaning 'further back'. Cognates appear across the early Germanic languages, including Old Norse 'eptir' and Gothic forms, indicating the word's great antiquity. It has remained remarkably stable in form and meaning for over a thousand years, spawning compounds and derivatives such as 'aftermath' (literally 'after-mowing', from the second crop of grass) and 'afternoon'.
Related word forms
How after is actually used
Extremely common and neutral in register, used equally in formal and informal contexts. In British usage 'afterwards' is preferred over 'afterward'; American usage accepts both.