afterwards

afterwards — adverb

1. at some point in time that comes after the moment, action, or event you have jus

1.adverbA2
Definition

at some point in time that comes after the moment, action, or event you have just been talking about.

Example

Sirin watched the film with her dad and cried for nearly an hour afterwards.

clause + afterwards (end position)

We had dumplings for lunch, and afterwards we walked along the river in Tainan.

afterwards links two sequential clauses

Common collocations
  • shortly afterwards
  • soon afterwards
  • immediately afterwards
  • long afterwards
  • years afterwards
Synonyms
  • later

    more general; can also mean 'in the future' without a specific reference event

  • subsequently

    formal; common in writing and reports

  • then

    tighter time link; suggests immediate or close sequence

  • thereafter

    very formal/literary; often opens a clause in legal or historical prose

Antonyms
  • beforehand

    marks the time before the reference event, not after

  • previously

    points to an earlier moment than the reference time

Grammar Patterns

clause + afterwards

afterwards, + clause

Usage Note

Almost always sits at the end of a clause or as a sentence opener; rarely placed mid-sentence. Frequently paired with a time modifier (shortly, soon, long, years) or with a preceding before-clause to mark a clear sequence.

Common Mistakes

I afterwards went home.
I went home afterwards.
Place 'afterwards' at the end of the clause, not between subject and verb.
Afterwards the meeting, we had coffee.
After the meeting, we had coffee.
Use 'after' (preposition) before a noun phrase; 'afterwards' is an adverb and stands alone.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words point to a time after a reference moment, but they differ in scope and register. 'Afterwards' is the everyday choice when you mean 'after the thing I just mentioned' — it almost always needs a clear earlier event to anchor it. 'Later' is broader: it can mean 'after now' (See you later) or 'after some unspecified time', and does not need a previous event. 'Subsequently' is a formal cousin of 'afterwards', common in news reports and academic writing. 'Then' implies a tight, often immediate sequence ('We ate, then we slept'). 'Thereafter' is stiff and literary, mostly in legal or historical texts. Compare: 'We had dinner; afterwards / then we watched a film' (natural) vs. 'The court adjourned; thereafter the judge retired' (formal).

later ↗subsequently ↗then ↗thereafter ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • shortly afterwards
  • soon afterwards
  • immediately afterwards
  • long afterwards
  • not long afterwards

Phrases

  • years afterwards
  • days afterwards
  • moments afterwards
  • the morning afterwards

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Old English from 'æfter' (after) plus '-weard' (a directional suffix meaning 'turned toward'), giving 'æfterweard' — literally 'turned to what comes after'. The final 's' was added in late Middle English, copying the pattern of other adverbs like 'always' and 'besides'. The 's'-less form 'afterward' is now the standard American spelling, while 'afterwards' stays more common in British and Commonwealth English.