after

[af-ter, ahf-] /ˈæf tər, ˈɑf-/
preposition
1.
behind in place or position; following behind:
men lining up one after the other.
2.
later in time than; in succession to; at the close of:
Tell me after supper. Day after day he came to work late.
3.
subsequent to and in consequence of:
After what has happened, I can never return.
4.
below in rank or excellence; nearest to:
Milton is usually placed after Shakespeare among English poets.
5.
in imitation of or in imitation of the style of:
to make something after a model; fashioned after Raphael.
6.
in pursuit or search of; with or in desire for:
I'm after a better job. Run after him!
7.
concerning; about:
to inquire after a person.
8.
with the name of; for:
He was named after his uncle.
9.
in proportion to; in accordance with:
He was a man after the hopes and expectations of his father.
10.
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.
11.
subsequent to and notwithstanding; in spite of:
After all their troubles, they still manage to be optimistic.
adverb
12.
behind; in the rear:
Jill came tumbling after.
13.
later in time; afterward:
three hours after; happily ever after.
adjective
14.
later in time; next; subsequent; succeeding:
In after years we never heard from him.
15.
Nautical, Aeronautics.
  1. farther aft.
  2. located closest to the stern or tail; aftermost:
    after hold; after mast.
  3. including the stern or tail:
    the after part of a hull.
conjunction
16.
subsequent to the time that:
after the boys left.
noun
17.
afters, British Informal. the final course of a meal, as pudding, ice cream, or the like; dessert.
Idioms
18.
after all, despite what has occurred or been assumed previously; nevertheless:
I've discovered I can attend the meeting after all.
Origin
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) + -ter suffix of comparison and polarity (cognate with Greek -teros)
Synonyms
1. See behind.

aft1

[aft, ahft] /æft, ɑft/
adverb
1.
at, close to, or toward the stern or tail:
Stow the luggage aft.
adjective
2.
situated toward or at the stern or tail:
The aft sail was luffing.
Origin
before 950; Middle English afte, Old English æftan from behind, equivalent to æf- opposite + -t- suffix of uncertain value + -an suffix marking motion from; cognate with Old Frisian efta, Old Saxon, Old High German aftan, Gothic aftana, Old Norse aptan, Greek opís(s)ō behind; not akin to Greek apó off
Examples from the web for after
  • Criminal law changed surprisingly little after the attacks.
  • Migration after the global economic crisis is different, but still continuing.
  • See photos before and after the transformation here.
  • after starting my day with a fully-charged phone, my battery was dead before the end of the workday.
  • after a fee is paid, there is a cursory visual inspection and certification is granted.
  • Salmon enjoyed a brief rebound after buyouts of commercial fisheries and the introduction of aquaculture.
  • Paintball is fun, except for the painful bruises that remind you of that fun a week after the fact.
  • Think of it this way: there may be worse things in life than the first days back at work after vacation.
  • Contrary to conventional wisdom, heart muscle cells do regenerate after heart attacks, researchers have found.
  • after each extinction, a rich variety of ammonoid species and body plans was replaced by a few free-floating types.
British Dictionary definitions for after

after

/ˈɑːftə/
preposition
1.
following in time; in succession to: after dinner, time after time
2.
following; behind: they entered one after another
3.
in pursuit or search of: chasing after a thief, he's only after money
4.
concerning: to inquire after his health
5.
considering: after what you have done, you shouldn't complain
6.
next in excellence or importance to: he ranked Jonson after Shakespeare
7.
in imitation of; in the manner of: a statue after classical models
8.
in accordance with or in conformity to: a man after her own heart
9.
with a name derived from: Mary was named after her grandmother
10.
(US) past (the hour of): twenty after three
11.
after all
  1. in spite of everything: it's only a game, after all
  2. in spite of expectations, efforts, etc: he won the race after all!
12.
after you, please go, enter, etc, before me
adverb
13.
at a later time; afterwards
14.
coming afterwards; in pursuit
15.
(nautical) further aft; sternwards
conjunction
16.
(subordinating) at a time later than that at which: he came after I had left
adjective
17.
(nautical) further aft: the after cabin
Word Origin
Old English æfter; related to Old Norse aptr back, eptir after, Old High German aftar

aft

/ɑːft/
adverb, adjective
1.
(mainly nautical) towards or at the stern or rear: the aft deck, aft of the engines
Word Origin
C17: perhaps a shortened form of earlier abaft
Word Origin and History for after
prep.

Old English æfter "after, next, throughout, following in time, later," from Old English of "off" (see of) + -ter, a comparative suffix; thus the original meaning was "more away, farther off." Cf. Old Norse eptir "after," Old High German aftar, Gothic aftra "behind." Cognate with Greek apotero "farther off."

After hours "after regular working hours" is from 1861. Afterwit "wisdom that comes too late" is attested from c.1500 but seems to have fallen from use, despite being more needed now than ever. After you as an expression in yielding precedence is recorded by 1650.

aft

adv.

Old English æftan "from behind, behind, farthest back," from superlative of Old English æf, af, of "away, away from, off" (see of). The Germanic superlative suffix *-ta corresponds to PIE *-to (cf. Greek protos "first," superlative of pro "before"). Now purely nautical.

Slang definitions & phrases for after

after

preposition

In pursuit of; wanting, desiring: He is after her job (1775+)


Related Abbreviations for after

AFT

American Federation of Teachers
Idioms and Phrases with after

after

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