adv · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌðɛəɹˈɑːf.tə(ɹ)/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ˌðɛəɹˈæf.tə(ɹ)/Northern England, other non-rhotic without the trap–bath split
General-American:/ˌðɛɹˈæf.tɚ/
rhymes with -ɑːftə(ɹ)
rhymes with -æftə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:DH EH0 R AE1 F T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
After that time, from then on; thenceforth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Near-synonyms: afterward, afterwards
He left; thereafter we never met again.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: afterward, afterwards
Antonyms: therebefore
2
adv
Meaning 2
After that (the thing aforementioned).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
The little dog was off like a shot, and the children went running thereafter.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: therebefore
3
noun
Meaning 3
Synonym of hereafter (“future existence or state”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncommon, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hereafter
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Synonym of hereafter (“existence after death”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, poetic, uncommon, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hereafter
Antonyms: none provided
5
adverb
Meaning 5
from that time on
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
thereafter he never called again
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: thenceforth
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English therafter, theraftir, þerefter, þerafter, þeræfter, from Old English þǣræfter (“after that; thereafter”), equivalent to there + after. Cognate with Saterland Frisian deerätter (“thereafter”), West Frisian dêrefter (“behind that; thereafter”), Dutch daarachter (“behind that; thereafter”), German Low German daarachter (“behind that”), Danish derefter (“thereafter”), Swedish därefter (“thereafter”).
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
после
(posle)
— after that
Bulgarian:
впоследствие
(vposledstvie)
— after that
Cherokee:
ᎤᏩᎫᏗᏗᏒ
(uwagudidisv)
— after that
Chinese Mandarin:
從此以後 /从此以后
(cóngcǐ yǐhòu)
— after that
Chinese Mandarin:
從此 /从此
(cóngcǐ)
— after that
Chinese Mandarin:
然後 /然后
(ránhòu)
— after that
Chinese Mandarin:
其後 /其后
(qíhòu)
— after that
Czech:
poté
— after that
Czech:
potom
— after that
Czech:
nato
— after that
Danish:
derefter
— after that
Dutch:
daarna
— after that
Finnish:
sen jälkeen
— after that
Finnish:
sen koommin
— after that
French:
après quoi
— after that
French:
à la suite de quoi
— after that
French:
ensuite
— after that
German:
danach
— after that
German:
nachher
— after that
German:
anschließend
— after that
German:
später
— after that
Gothic:
𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌸𐍃
(þanaseiþs)
— after that
Ancient Greek:
ἔπειτα
(épeita)
— after that
Hungarian:
azután
— after that
Hungarian:
utána
— after that
Italian:
dopodiché
— after that
K'iche':
k'ate ri' class adv
— after that
Latin:
deinde
— after that
Luxembourgish:
duerno
— after that
Russian:
по́сле э́того
(pósle étovo)
— after that
Russian:
впосле́дствии
(vposlédstvii)
— after that
Russian:
с того́ вре́мени
(s tovó vrémeni)
— after that