ENGLISH
REFERENCE

thereafter

adv. · n.
US //ðɛˈɹæftɝ// UK //ðeəɹˈɑːftɐ// there·after
  1. 1 after that time (adv.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Literary

    after a specific time or event that you just mentioned.

    following the time or event previously specified. Often used in formal narrative or legal contexts to establish a timeline.

    Example

    The company was founded in 1990 and grew quickly thereafter.

    Example

    The treaty was signed in June, and for three years thereafter, the region enjoyed a period of unprecedented peace and economic growth.

    Usage

    Usually placed at the end of a clause or immediately following a time reference.
  2. 2 life after death (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Archaic Religion

    the life or state of being that some people believe happens after you die.

    existence or life after death; a synonym for 'the hereafter'.

    Example

    The poet wrote many verses about the mystery of the thereafter.

    Example

    In his final philosophical treatise, he explored the human obsession with the thereafter and the various cultural depictions of the soul's journey.

    Teacher's tip

    This noun sense is very rare in modern English; 'afterlife' or 'the hereafter' are much more common.
Origin

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”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026