adverb

afterward

Translation

afterwards, later

Let's go to the movies and eat afterward.

Let's go to the cinema and eat afterwards.

He fell ill and died shortly afterward.

He fell ill and died shortly afterwards.

〈shortly/long/soon〉 afterward at a later time We had dinner, and went for a walk afterward.

Synonyms: later, then, next, subsequently

From 'after' + the directional suffix '-ward'. It points to a time *after* an event.

'Afterward' is more common in American English. 'Afterwards' is more common in British English, but both are used and understood everywhere.