hereafter

1 of 3

adverb

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

hereafter

2 of 3

noun

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

hereafter

3 of 3

adjective

archaic
: future

Synonyms of hereafter

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Adverb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Nothing that happens hereafter is the steam shower’s fault. — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2025 There isn’t any sureness to the ground hereafter and no promise that a hoof will not land false somewhere and drop. — Literary Hub, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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 Now, a nearby planetary system has offered clues to our planet’s cosmic hereafter. — Quanta Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for hereafter

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

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

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

Phrases Containing hereafter

Rhymes for hereafter

See All Rhymes for hereafter

Browse Nearby Words

hereabouts
hereafter
here and now
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hereafter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hereafter. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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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
: future entry 2 sense 1a
2
: life after death
belief in the hereafter

More from Merriam-Webster on hereafter

Nglish: Translation of hereafter for Spanish Speakers

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