after

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled arter

US /ˈæftər/ UK /ˈɑːftə/ See IPA manual

Freq #155

Studied by 5 learners

Meanings

1

prep
Later in time than; following.

We had a few drinks after the game.
2

adv
Later; following in time.

He fell ill on Monday and died soon after.
3

prep
Trying to get or catch someone or something.

The police are after him for robbery.
4

prep
In honour of or in imitation of.

They named the baby after his grandfather.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

post

Word family

Forms afters

Derived forms after-banquetafter-fiveafter-partyafter-workafternessafternoonsought-aftersweet-after-death

Appears in

Phrases (9)

See all

chase after
to pursue someone or something in an attempt to catch them

Verb + preposition/particle
lust after
to feel strong sexual desire for someone

Verb + preposition/particle
look after
To oversee something carefully and make sure it is properly handled.

Verb + preposition/particle
after dinner
during the time following the main meal of the day

Preposition + noun
after school
during the time following the end of the day's lessons

Preposition + noun
after work
during the time following the end of one's working day

Preposition + noun

Idioms (1)

See all

happily ever after
living a happy life forever, especially as the end of a story

Etymology

Etymology tree 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/Dutch achter (“behind”), German after-…

after Middle English æfter Old English *aftar Proto-West Germanic *after Proto-Germanic *h₂epo Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# after

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** prep, adv
**IPA (US):** /ˈæftər/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɑːftə/
**Frequency rank:** 155

## Meanings
1. Later in time than; following.
2. Later; following in time.
3. Trying to get or catch someone or something.
4. In honour of or in imitation of.

## Examples
- We had a few drinks after the game.
- He fell ill on Monday and died soon after.
- The police are after him for robbery.
- They named the baby after his grandfather.

## Synonyms
- post

## Derived Forms
- after-banquet
- after-five
- after-party
- after-work
- afterness
- afternoon
- sought-after
- sweet-after-death

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: after
- Root: æfter
- Root: *aftar
- Root: *after
- Root: *h₂epo

## Etymology
Etymology tree 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/Dutch achter (“behind”), German after-…

## AI Etymology
After comes 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”). The historical chain runs from Proto-Indo-European *-o through Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó, Proto-Indo-European *-teros, Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros, Proto-Germanic *after, Old English æfter, and Middle English after to English after.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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