What does afterwards mean?
'Afterwards' is an adverb meaning at a later time than the moment, event, or action just mentioned — in other words, subsequently. It answers the implicit question of what happened next, making it one of the most useful words for narrating sequences of events: 'We met in the morning and had lunch afterwards.' The word belongs to a small family of directional time-and-place adverbs ending in '-wards', such as 'forwards', 'backwards', and 'towards', all built on an old Germanic root meaning 'to turn' or 'to go'. British English strongly favours 'afterwards', while American English more often uses the variant 'afterward'; both are correct and interchangeable in meaning. Because it refers back to something already stated, 'afterwards' rarely appears alone — it typically follows a clause that establishes the reference point. Its tone is neutral and unobtrusive, fitting equally well in formal writing and everyday conversation, which helps explain its enduring popularity as a simple, elegant way to mark what came next.
adverbAt a later or future time; subsequently to the event, moment, or action just mentioned.
- At a later time than the moment or event just referred to; subsequently.
"We had dinner first, and afterwards went for a long walk along the river."
"She felt nervous before the interview, but afterwards she wondered what all the fuss had been about."
"The medication may cause drowsiness for several hours afterwards."
The '-wards' in 'afterwards' comes from an ancient Germanic word meaning 'to turn' — so every time you say it, you're literally pointing time in a direction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does afterwards come from?
'Afterwards' derives from Old English 'æfterweard', a compound of 'æfter' ('after, behind') and the suffix '-weard', from a Germanic root meaning 'to turn' or 'to face in a direction'. The same '-ward' element produced 'forward', 'backward', 'toward', 'homeward', and 'wayward'. In Middle English the form settled as 'afterward(es)', and the final '-s' became conventional in British usage, while American English retained the older 'afterward'. Cognate '-ward' formations appear across the Germanic languages, including German '-wärts' forms such as 'vorwärts' ('forward').
Related word forms
How afterwards is actually used
'Afterwards' is the usual form in British English, while 'afterward' (without the final 's') predominates in American English; both are fully acceptable and mean the same thing. It functions as an adverb of time and cannot be used attributively.
Easily confused with afterwards
'Afterward' is the standard American variant of the same word, while 'afterwards' is preferred in British English; they mean exactly the same thing.