Standard Lemma guide

thereafter

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
  • Spanish: tras lo cual — after that
  • Spanish: tras lo que — after that
  • Swedish: därefter — after that
  • Swedish: efteråt — after that
  • Yiddish: דערנאָך (dernokh) — after that
Real reading context

thereafter in complete knowledge articles