Meaning & use
afterward
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Meaning
adverbnot comparable
At a later time than something already mentioned; after that.
Grammar: Usually stands at the start or end of a clause: afterward, we went home; we went home afterward.
Patterns
- shortly afterward
- soon afterward
- not long afterward
We watched the film and went for pizza afterward.
The meeting ended, and she called her sister soon afterward.
He apologized for his rudeness, but only long afterward.
Common combinations
- shortly afterward
- The storm began shortly afterward.
- soon afterward
- Soon afterward, the lights came back on.
- years afterward
- Years afterward, he still remembered the trip.
- immediately afterward
- She felt calm immediately afterward.
- not long afterward
- Not long afterward, the shop closed down.
Synonyms and how they differ
- afterwards
- Afterwards means the same and is the more usual spelling in British English, while afterward is the common American form.
- later
- Later is looser and does not need a stated earlier event, while afterward points back to something just mentioned.
- subsequently
- Subsequently is more formal and typical of reports and histories, while afterward is plain and conversational.
- thereafter
- Thereafter is formal and often means from that point onward, whereas afterward can mean just once later.
Opposites
Word family
- after preposition
- later than something
- afterwards adverb
- the British-leaning spelling of afterward
- afterword noun
- a short note at the end of a book
Commonly confused: afterward or afterword?
afterward vs afterword
An afterword is a closing section of a book; it is a noun, whereas afterward is an adverb of time.
Practice
Which sentence uses afterward correctly?
Choose one answer.
Afterward is an adverb meaning later, so it fits we walked afterward. It cannot be followed directly by a noun as in the first option, and it is not an adjective or noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “afterward”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.