Afterwardes

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. At a later point in time, following something that has already happened
2. Subsequently, after the event or action just mentioned has taken place
3. Later on, once a particular moment or occurrence has passed in sequence

Etymology: Afterwardes is a Middle English adverb meaning "afterwards," built from "after" plus the adverbial genitive suffix "-es," which was common in Old English and Middle English for forming adverbs of time and direction. The "-wardes" element is a separate suffix, "-ward" with the same "-es" ending, which marks direction, so the word combines two layers of adverb-forming endings on the same base. The "-es" ending was gradually dropped from such adverbs, and the form "afterward" (with the same meaning) became the standard over the centuries, while "afterwards" with its final "-s" survived into modern English. The older spelling "afterwardes" is simply an earlier written form of that same word, preserved in Middle English texts.

Synonyms: later, subsequently, thereafter

Antonyms: beforehand, previously