Word
thereafter
Phoneticsthere·after
US/ðɛˈɹæftɝ/
UK/ðeəɹˈɑːftɐ/
Definitions
01after that time
adv. after a specific time or event that you just mentioned.
adv. following the time or event previously specified. Often used in formal narrative or legal contexts to establish a timeline.
“The company was founded in 1990 and grew quickly thereafter.”
“The treaty was signed in June, and for three years thereafter, the region enjoyed a period of unprecedented peace and economic growth.”
Formal · Literary
Usage
Usually placed at the end of a clause or immediately following a time reference.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02life after death
n. the life or state of being that some people believe happens after you die.
n. existence or life after death; a synonym for 'the hereafter'.
“The poet wrote many verses about the mystery of the thereafter.”
“In his final philosophical treatise, he explored the human obsession with the thereafter and the various cultural depictions of the soul's journey.”
Literary · Archaic
Teaching tip
This noun sense is very rare in modern English; 'afterlife' or 'the hereafter' are much more common.
Real-World Examples
“He was a senior whip (1977-79), a junior defence spokesman (1979-82) and a home affairs spokesman for a year thereafter.” “The e-scooter rider shortly thereafter was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.” 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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/thereafter