after
Etymology

From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo, from *h₂epo.

Cognate with Scots efter, Northern Frisian efter, Western Frisian after, achter, efter, Low German -/Dutch achter, German after-, Swedish -/Danish efter, Norwegian etter, Icelandic eftir, aftur.

The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... ("I have just...").

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ)/
  • (Northern England, other <> <>) IPA: /ˈaf.tə(ɹ)/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈæf.tɚ/
  • (dialectal, now rare) IPA: /ˈæ.tə(ɹ)/, /ˈɑː.tə(ɹ)/
Adverb

after (not comparable)

  1. Behind; later in time; following.
    I left the room, and the dog bounded after.
    They lived happily ever after.
    I might come next month, or the month after.
Translations Preposition
  1. Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
    We had a few beers after the game.
    The time is a quarter after eight.
    The Cold War began shortly after WWII.
    After you with the salt and pepper.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗:
      I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.
    1. Subsequently to and as a result of.
      After your bad behaviour, you will be punished.
    2. Subsequently to and considering.
      I’m not putting you in charge again after the last disaster.
    3. Subsequently to and in spite of.
      After all that has happened, he is still my friend.
      I can’t believe that, after all our advice against gambling, you walked into that casino!
    4. (often with verbs related to cleaning or tidying) Subsequently to the actions of (someone), in order to remedy a situation.
      I'm tired of picking up after you. Why can't you clean your own messes?
    5. (in reduplicative expressions) Repeatedly, seemingly in a sequence without end.
      day after day, time after time, mile after mile, beer after beer, smile after smile
    6. (Irish, Newfoundland, usually, preceded by a form of be, followed by an -ing form of a verb) Used to indicate recent completion of an activity.
      I was after finishing my dinner when there was a knock on the door. [= I had just finished my dinner when ...]
  2. Behind.
    He will leave a trail of destruction after him.
    I told her to shut the door after her.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗:
      Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, […] , and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
  3. In pursuit of, seeking.
    He’s after a job; run after him; inquire after her health.
  4. In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing.
    We named him after his grandfather.
    This painting is after Leonardo da Vinci.
    • 1735, The Sportsman's Dictionary:
      Work your horse in a calade, after the Italian way; ride him straight, and then you make good use of the calade.
  5. Below, often next below, in importance or rank.
    The princess is next in line to the throne after the prince.
  6. Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to.
    to look after workmen; to enquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness
  7. (obsolete) According to (an author or text).
  8. (obsolete) According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting.
    • a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC ↗:
      He takes greatness of kingdoms according to bulk and currency, and not after their intrinsic value.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Conjunction
  1. Signifies that the action of the clause it starts takes place before the action of the other clause.
    The show ends after the fat lady sings.
    After we had decided to call it a day, I went home.
    • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC ↗:
      It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the screw begins to revolve. There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.
    • 1991, Donald "Shadow" Rimgale (character), Robert DeNiro (actor), Backdraft (film)
      So you punched out a window for ventilation. Was that before or after you noticed you were standing in a lake of gasoline?
Translations Adjective
  1. (dated) Later; second (of two); next, following, subsequent
    • 1886, Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge:
      The amends he had made in after life were lost sight of in the dramatic glare of the original act.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗:
      In the old days, […] he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […] and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned. But he had then none of the oddities and mannerisms which I hold to be inseparable from genius, and which struck my attention in after days when I came in contact with the Celebrity.
  2. (nautical or aeronautical, where the frame of reference is within the craft) At or towards the stern of a ship or the rear of an aircraft.
    The after gun is mounted aft.
    The after gun is abaft the forward gun.
    The aircraft provided an after cabin for two radar operators.
    • 1952, C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:
      Caspian led them down a ladder into the after hatch.
Noun

after (plural afters)

  1. Of before-and-after images: the one that shows the difference after a specified treatment.
    Coordinate term: before
Related terms


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