Afterward
/ˈæf.tɚ.wɚd/noun
At a later time; subsequently.
Did you know?Afterward is built from Old English æfter (“after, behind”) plus weard, a directional suffix from the same root family as “ward,” originally meaning “toward” or “in the direction of.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂epó
“away from, following”
Old English
OE
æfterweard
“toward the rear; later in time”
Middle English
English
afterward
“later; subsequently”
Modern English
English
afterward
“at a later time; subsequently”