thereafter

USthair-AF-tur/ˌðɛɹˈæf.tɚ/UKthair-AHF-tuh/ˌðɛəɹˈɑːf.tə(ɹ)/

Noun pluralthereafters

3 meanings of thereafter

1
adverb
After a certain point in time, and from then on.
He graduated in May and moved to the city soon thereafter.
She caught a cold in December and felt weak for weeks thereafter.
Similarafterward, afterwards, subsequently, later, thenceforth
Oppositepreviously, beforehand
2
nounrareusually singular
The time still to come, the future.
Careful planning today shapes the thereafter we will all share.
The novel imagines a thereafter in which machines govern human affairs.
Similarhereafter
Oppositepast
3
nounrareusually singular
Life after death, the place a person's soul goes after they die.
He found comfort in the thought of a peaceful thereafter.
A mimed sequence might enliven Johnny's visit to the great thereafter; or the battle royal might be painted on a backdrop.
2022, Jody Enders, Immaculate Deception and Further RibaldriesHere, thereafter means life after death.
Similarhereafter

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Origin

From Old English þǣræfter, meaning "after that." It comes from "there" plus "after."