hereafter

1 of 3

adverb

here·​af·​ter hir-ˈaf-tər How to pronounce hereafter (audio)
1
: after this in sequence or in time
2
: in some future time or state

hereafter

2 of 3

noun

often capitalized
1
: future
2
: an existence beyond earthly life
belief in the hereafter

hereafter

3 of 3

adjective

archaic
: future

Examples of hereafter in a Sentence

Adverb Hereafter the two companies will operate in full partnership. We don't know what will happen hereafter. Noun apologized, for being late to the meeting and assured his boss that there would be no such recurrences in the hereafter hoped to be reunited with his deceased wife in the hereafter
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Her loss was then greatly felt among the music community, and rest of the world, at the 55th Grammys later that weekend and hereafter. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2024 Then choose to live your life hereafter in a place beyond his reach. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2024 Affirm that efforts meant to keep Reddit accountable to its commitments and deadlines will hereafter not be met with insults, threats, removals, or hostility. Jay Peters, The Verge, 26 June 2023 Introduction Since 2003, the Tax Foundation, a think tank based in Washington D.C., has annually issued its Business Tax Climate Index (hereafter the Index), comparing all 50 states and analyzing each state’s business tax climate. Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Jan. 2023 That’s why the 2018 announcement of the properties of NGC 1052-DF2, hereafter known as DF2 for short, came as such a shock. Ethan Siegel, Forbes, 22 June 2021 In ancient times, families hoped that through such intercession, the dead person would receive a better place in the life hereafter. Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 26 Apr. 2021 And now for some bad news: Aside from an occasional episode shared out of the goodness of my heart, Plaintext will hereafter be available only for subscribers. Steven Levy, Wired, 21 Jan. 2021 The Washington Team – hereafter known in This Space as the Teamskins – already have started 3 QBs this season. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 19 Nov. 2020
Noun
Now, a nearby planetary system has offered clues to our planet’s cosmic hereafter. Quanta Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023 The Mass was officiated by Rev. Barry Windholtz, who spoke of the changes de Cavel might bring about in the sweet hereafter. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 16 Jan. 2023 The vulture, serpent, and falcon are traditional iconography of eternal protection in the hereafter. National Geographic, 18 Oct. 2022 Deus Ex: Human Revolution (hereafter DX:HR), prequel to the cyberpunk video game masterpiece Deus Ex, asks the player to take part in answering that question. Kyle Munkittrick, Discover Magazine, 1 Sep. 2011 The otherworlds that Véra claimed were central to his metaphysics don’t necessarily exist in a temporal hereafter, but rather in a spatial here and now. Ryan Ruby, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022 Others of us prefer her messing with the hereafter alongside Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2022 And rules about who can be sealed to whom in the hereafter via proxy rituals are different from living couples. The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022 The church should excommunicate these two leaders of an atheistic, communist state, signaling that the punishment might well be extended to the hereafter. WSJ, 7 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hereafter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hereafter was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hereafter

Cite this Entry

“Hereafter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hereafter. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hereafter

1 of 2 adverb
here·​af·​ter hi(ə)r-ˈaf-tər How to pronounce hereafter (audio)
1
: after this
2
: in some future time or state

hereafter

2 of 2 noun
often capitalized
1
2
: life after death
belief in the hereafter

More from Merriam-Webster on hereafter

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