after

af|ter [ `æftər ] function word ***

After is used in the following ways:

as a preposition (followed by a noun):

I went for a swim after breakfast.

as an adverb (without a following noun):

He died on June 3rd and was buried the day after.

as a conjunction (connecting two clauses):

After you'd left, I got a phone call from Stuart.

1. ) at a later time

a ) when a particular time has passed, or when an event or action has ended:

After the war, my parents moved to the U.S.

Essays handed in after 12:00 on Friday will not be accepted.

She is leaving the school after 20 years as its principal.

This message arrived after everyone had gone home.

after a while: It seems noisy at first, but after a while you get used to it.

after doing something: Paul Jansen died after being involved in a motorcycle accident.

b ) used for showing how much later something happens:

minutes/days/years etc. after: His birthday is two days after mine.

She got here just a few seconds after me (=after I got here).

Barlow was arrested 24 hours after arriving back in the country.

soon/shortly/not long after: Joe was born not long after we moved to Portland.

We got here at eleven and the others arrived soon after.

right after (=immediately after): You shouldn't go swimming right after a big meal.

c ) AMERICAN used in telling the time, for giving the number of minutes past the hour:

It's ten after nine (=9:10).

d ) the day/week/year etc. after the next day/week/year etc. that follows a particular one:

I can start work tomorrow or the day after.

the day after tomorrow/the week after next etc.: I'll see you again the day after tomorrow.

The 12th of May is the Friday after next.

e ) in after years LITERARY during a later time, usually many years later than a time you have mentioned

2. ) at a later position in a list or piece of writing

a ) following someone or something else in a list or order:

N comes after M in the alphabet.

Germany is our third largest export market after Japan and the U.K.

Kate is my best friend, after you of course.

b ) following something else in a piece of writing:

In the U.S., we put a period after Mr. and Mrs.

What do those letters after your name mean?

3. ) past a place farther along a road, railroad, etc.:

You turn right just after the bank.

We get off at the station after Newport.

4. ) when someone leaves or has left

a ) if you call or shout after someone, you call or shout to them as they are leaving:

And don't come back! they yelled after him.

b ) if you clean up after someone, you clean up a mess they have made when they have left or after they have finished:

You can put those toys away because I'm not cleaning up after you.

c ) if you close a door or gate after you, you close it as you leave a place:

She walked out, closing the door gently after her.

5. ) considering what happened in the past

a ) used for saying that someone is influenced by past events:

After what happened last time, I was extra careful not to make the same mistakes.

They wouldn't invite John, not after the way he behaved at Sally's wedding.

b ) used when there has been a surprising or disappointing result despite everything that was done in the past:

After all that I'd done for her, she didn't even say thank you.

6. ) trying to catch, find, or get someone/something

a ) trying to catch someone or something:

The police are after him for burglary.

go/run/drive etc. after (=follow and try to catch someone or something): I ran after her to apologize.

His dog fell in the river and he jumped in after it.

b ) INFORMAL wanting to get something that belongs to someone else:

Watch out, he's only after your money.

c ) MAINLY BRITISH INFORMAL trying to find something:

A really good French dictionary, that's what I'm after.

7. ) with the same name MAINLY BRITISH if you name a person or thing after someone, you give them the same name:

We named him after my father.

after all

1. ) used for saying that something is true despite what was said or planned before:

Maybe she was right after all.

I'm sorry, but we've decided not to come after all.

2. ) used when giving a reason to explain what you have just said:

I'm not really ambitious. After all, money isn't everything.

She shouldn't be working so hard she is 70, after all.

after you SPOKEN

used for politely telling someone that they can do something before you or walk somewhere in front of you:

Excuse me, were you waiting to be served? No, no, after you.

day after day/week after week/year after year etc.

happening again and again every day/week/year for a long time:

Day after day it rained.

Many families come back to our hotel year after year.

one after another or one after the other

used for saying that each person or thing is immediately followed by the next:

A whole series of problems have arisen one after another.

There was one day when I had three different exams one after the other.