after — meaning, definition (preposition, adverb, conjunction, adjective)

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros Proto-Germanic *after Old English æfter Middle English after English after From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German and Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Danish and Swedish efter (“after”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk etter (“after”), Faroese and Icelandic eftir (“after”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

Later; second (of two); next, following, subsequent
“I did verily believe in my own mind, that I couldn't fight in that way at all; but my after experience convinced me that this was all a notion.”
“The amends he had made in after life were lost sight of in the dramatic glare of the original act.”
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.”

adv

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros Proto-Germanic *after Old English æfter Middle English after English after From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German and Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Danish and Swedish efter (“after”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk etter (“after”), Faroese and Icelandic eftir (“after”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

Behind; later in time; following.
“I left the room, and the dog bounded after.”
“They lived happily ever after.”

conj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros Proto-Germanic *after Old English æfter Middle English after English after From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German and Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Danish and Swedish efter (“after”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk etter (“after”), Faroese and Icelandic eftir (“after”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

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.”

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros Proto-Germanic *after Old English æfter Middle English after English after From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German and Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Danish and Swedish efter (“after”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk etter (“after”), Faroese and Icelandic eftir (“after”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

Of before-and-after images: the one that shows the difference after a specified treatment.
“In the ‘before’ shots, she’ll look like an ordinary suburban housewife; but we know she acts in community theater musicals sometimes, so the ‘afters’ will give her a glamorous starlet image, starting with a very revealing bathing suit shot.”
“Did any of the before pictures remind you of yourself, and did any of the afters show what you hoped your results might be?”

prep

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros Proto-Germanic *after Old English æfter Middle English after English after From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German and Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Danish and Swedish efter (“after”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk etter (“after”), Faroese and Icelandic eftir (“after”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“We had a few beers after the game.”
“The time is a quarter after eight.”
Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“After your bad behaviour, you will be punished.”
Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“I’m not putting you in charge again after the last disaster.”
Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“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!”
Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“I'm tired of picking up after you. Why can't you clean your own messes?”
Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“day after day, time after time, mile after mile, beer after beer, smile after smile”
“Paper after paper spells out how vulnerable we are to internet-induced brain rot.”
Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“I was after finishing my dinner when there was a knock on the door. [= I had just finished my dinner when ...]”
“He was after walking on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before, all the way from the County Limerick, where his brother, Father John, has a parish; and you may believe, the poor man was tired”
Behind.
“He will leave a trail of destruction after him.”
“I told her to shut the door after her.”
In pursuit of, seeking.
“He’s after a job; run after him; inquire after her health.”
In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing.
“We named him after his grandfather.”
“This painting is after Leonardo da Vinci.”
Below, often next below, in importance or rank.
“The princess is next in line to the throne after the prince.”
Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to.
“to look after workmen; to enquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness”
According to (an author or text).
According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting.
“He takes greatness of kingdoms according to bulk and currency, and not after their intrinsic value.”

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Wiktionary

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