after: Meaning and Definition of

af•ter

Pronunciation: (af'tur, äf'-), [key]
— prep.
  1. behind in place or position; following behind: men lining up one after the other.
  2. later in time than; in succession to; at the close of: Tell me after supper. Day after day he came to work late.
  3. subsequent to and in consequence of: After what has happened, I can never return.
  4. below in rank or excellence; nearest to: Milton is usually placed after Shakespeare among English poets.
  5. in imitation of or in imitation of the style of: to make something after a model; fashioned after Raphael.
  6. in pursuit or search of; with or in desire for: I'm after a better job. Run after him!
  7. concerning; about: to inquire after a person.
  8. with the name of; for: He was named after his uncle.
  9. in proportion to; in accordance with: He was a man after the hopes and expectations of his father.
  10. according to the nature of; in conformity with; in agreement or unison with: He was a man after my own heart. He swore after the manner of his faith.
  11. subsequent to and notwithstanding; in spite of: After all their troubles, they still manage to be optimistic.
  12. despite what has occurred or been assumed previously; nevertheless: I've discovered I can attend the meeting after all.
—adv.
  1. behind; in the rear: Jill came tumbling after.
  2. later in time; afterward: three hours after; happily ever after.
—adj.
  1. later in time; next; subsequent; succeeding: In after years we never heard from him.
  2. after hold; after mast.
    1. farther aft.
    2. located closest to the stern or tail; aftermost:after hold; after mast.
    3. including the stern or tail:the after part of a hull.
—conj.
  1. subsequent to the time that: after the boys left.
—n.
  1. the final course of a meal, as pudding, ice cream, or the like; dessert.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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