afterward

[af-ter-werd, ahf-] /ˈæf tər wərd, ˈɑf-/

adverb

at a later or subsequent time; subsequently.

Also, afterwards.

Origin

before 1000; Middle English; Old English æfterweard, alteration (with -r- of æfter after) of æfteweard, equivalent to æfte-, æftan aft + -weard -ward

Can be confused

afterward, afterword.

Examples from the web for afterwards

It usually goes away eventually, but a few patients have diarrhea flare-ups for years afterwards.
The problem is that the bridge is often unusable afterwards.
Possessed individuals do the bidding of the spirits during a grueling, exhausting ordeal that they do not remember afterwards.
None of the relatives reported pain during the five-minute donation procedure, and none experienced any complications afterwards.
Thankfully he is provided with an extra uniform soon afterwards.
He torments himself for weeks afterwards and isolates himself from family and friends.
Actually students work for both employers and unions afterwards.
They had to be endured, but you felt better for it afterwards.
But it was worth it, a whole day up and down and a week of cold and coughing afterwards.
Ask them afterwards how the event made them feel and how long they felt it lasted.

British Dictionary definitions for afterwards

afterwards

/ˈɑːftəwədz/

adverb

after an earlier event or time; subsequently

Word Origin

Old English æfterweard, æfteweard, from aft + ward

Word Origin and History for afterwards

adv.

c.1300, from afterward (q.v.) + adverbial genitive -s; originally a Northern form.

afterward

adv.

Old English æftanweard, from æftan "after" (see aft) + -weard suffix indicating direction (see -ward); nautical use as aftward, then expanded by influence of after; variant afterwards shows adverbial genitive.