thereafter

English

Alternative forms

• thereafters

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”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌðɛəɹˈɑːf.tə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (Northern England, other non-rhotic without the trap-bath split) IPA^(key): /ˌðɛəɹˈæf.tə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌðɛɹˈæf.tɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɑːftə(ɹ), -æftə(ɹ)

Adverb

thereafter (not comparable)

1. After that, from then on; thenceforth.

   He left; thereafter we never met again.

   • 1899, John Buchan, No Man's Land:

     The Lent term had pulled me down, a week of modest enjoyment thereafter in town had finished the work; and I drank in the sharp moorish air like a thirsty man who has been forwandered among deserts.

   • 1900, L. Frank Baum, chapter 23, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:

     "My third command to the Winged Monkeys," said Glinda, "shall be to carry you to your forest. Then, having used up the powers of the Golden Cap, I shall give it to the King of the Monkeys, that he and his band may thereafter be free for evermore."

Coordinate terms

• afterward

Translations

after that

• Bulgarian: после (bg) (posle), впоследствие (bg) (vposledstvie)
• Cherokee: ᎤᏩᎫᏗᏗᏒ (uwagudidisv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 從此以後／从此以后 (cóngcǐ yǐhòu), 從此／从此 (zh) (cóngcǐ), 然後／然后 (zh) (ránhòu), 其後／其后 (zh) (qíhòu)

• Czech: poté (cs), potom (cs), nato (cs)
• Danish: derefter
• Dutch: daarna (nl)
• Finnish: sen jälkeen, sen koommin (fi)
• French: après quoi (fr), à la suite de quoi (fr), ensuite (fr)
• German: danach (de)
• Gothic: 𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌸𐍃 (þanaseiþs)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἔπειτα (épeita)

• Hungarian: azután (hu), utána (hu)
• Italian: dopodiché
• K'iche': k'ate ri' class adv
• Latin: deinde (la)
• Luxembourgish: duerno
• Russian: по́сле э́того (pósle étovo), впосле́дствии (ru) (vposlédstvii), с того́ вре́мени (s tovó vrémeni)
• Spanish: tras lo cual, tras lo que
• Swedish: därefter (sv), efteråt (sv)
• Yiddish: דערנאָך (dernokh)

Noun

thereafter (countable and uncountable, plural thereafters)

1. (uncommon) Synonym of hereafter (“future existence or state”).
2. (poetic, uncommon) Synonym of hereafter (“existence after death”).
   • 2022, Jody Enders, Immaculate Deception and Further Ribaldries, →ISBN, page 243:

     A mimed sequence might enliven Johnny's visit to the great thereafter; or the battle royal might be painted on a backdrop.

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words

• (about): hereabout, thereabout, whereabout
• (abouts): hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts
• (after): hereafter, thereafter, whereafter
• (again): thereagain
• (against): hereagainst, thereagainst, whereagainst
• (among): hereamong, thereamong, whereamong
• (amongst): thereamongst, whereamongst
• (around): therearound, wherearound
• (as): thereas, whereas
• (at): hereat, thereat, whereat
• (before): herebefore, therebefore
• (beside): therebeside
• (between): therebetween, wherebetween
• (by): hereby, thereby, whereby
• (for): herefor, therefor, wherefor
• (fore): herefore, therefore, wherefore
• (from): herefrom, therefrom, wherefrom
• (hence): herehence, therehence
• (in): herein, therein, wherein
• (in after): hereinafter, thereinafter, whereinafter
• (in before): hereinbefore, thereinbefore, whereinbefore
• (into): hereinto, thereinto, whereinto
• (of): hereof, thereof, whereof
• (on): hereon, thereon, whereon
• (out): hereout, thereout, whereout
• (to): hereto, thereto, whereto
• (tofore): heretofore, theretofore, wheretofore
• (under): hereunder, thereunder, whereunder
• (unto): hereunto, thereunto, whereunto
• (upon): hereupon, thereupon, whereupon
• (with): herewith, therewith, wherewith
• (withal): herewithal, therewithal, wherewithal