af·ter
(ăf́tər)
[Middle English, from Old English æfter.]
prep.
- Behind in place or order: Z comes after Y in the alphabet.
- Next to or lower than in order or importance.
- In quest or pursuit of: seek after fame; go after big money.
- Concerning: asked after you.
- Subsequent in time to; at a later time than: come after dinner.
- Subsequent to and because of or regardless of: They are still friends after all their differences.
- Following continually: year after year.
- In the style of or in imitation of: satires after Horace.
- With the same or close to the same name as; in honor or commemoration of: named after her mother.
- According to the nature or desires of; in conformity to: a tenor after my own heart.
- Past the hour of: five minutes after three.
- Irish Used with a present participle to indicate action that has just been completed: “Sure I'm after seeing him not five minutes ago” (James Joyce)
adverb
- Behind; in the rear.
- At a later or subsequent time; afterward: three hours after; departed shortly after.
adjective
- Subsequent in time or place; later; following: in after years.
- Located near the stern of a vessel or the rear or an aircraft or spacecraft.
conj.
- Following or subsequent to the time that: I saw them after I arrived.
noun
- Afternoon.
- Chiefly British Dessert.
idioms
- after all
- In spite of everything to the contrary; nevertheless: We chose to take the train after all. Everything else having been considered; ultimately: A car is after all a means of transportation.
