afterlife

afterlife — noun

1. the life or world that some religions and cultures believe people enter after de

1.nounC1
Definition

the life or world that some religions and cultures believe people enter after death.

Example

Grandma Mei has believed in the afterlife since her husband died.

pattern: believe in the afterlife

The children pictured an afterlife where their dog could run again.

article pattern: an afterlife

Common collocations
  • belief in the afterlife
  • believe in the afterlife
  • describe the afterlife
  • question the afterlife
  • the afterlife of the soul
Synonyms
  • life after death

    plain explanatory phrase rather than a single formal noun

  • hereafter

    more formal or literary, and less common in everyday speech

  • next world

    older and slightly literary; often used in religious discussion

Antonyms
  • this life

    the life a person is living now, before death

Grammar Patterns

believe in the afterlife

describe the afterlife

the afterlife

Usage Note

Usually appears with 'the' when speaking about the general idea, and often follows verbs such as 'believe in', 'describe', 'picture', and 'question'. In neutral writing it names a religious or cultural belief; if you mean one specific religion's reward-filled place, a narrower word such as 'heaven' may be more exact.

Common Mistakes

Many people believe afterlife.
Many people believe in the afterlife.
after 'believe', this noun normally takes 'in' and usually appears with 'the'.
The film is about afterlife of dogs.
The film is about the afterlife of dogs.
the general concept usually takes the definite article.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Afterlife' is the broad, neutral word for any continued existence after death, without naming one religion's exact picture. 'Life after death' means almost the same thing, but it is a longer explanatory phrase. 'Hereafter' is more formal and literary, so it appears more in older writing, speeches, or serious discussion than in daily conversation. 'Heaven' and 'paradise' are narrower words: they usually refer to a blessed or joyful place, not just any state after death, and they fit particular religious traditions better than the neutral 'afterlife'. A general statement is 'Many cultures teach belief in an afterlife.' A more specific one is 'She hoped to see her mother again in heaven.'

afterlife ↗life after death ↗hereafterheaven ↗paradise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • belief in the afterlife
  • idea of the afterlife
  • vision of the afterlife

Phrases

  • believe in the afterlife
  • describe the afterlife
  • picture the afterlife
  • question the afterlife

Prepositions

  • in the afterlife

Etymology

English

Built in English from 'after' and 'life'. The word has been used since the late 1500s for the idea that some form of existence continues after a person dies.