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After (adverb)
Behind; later in time; following.
“They lived happily ever after.”
“I left the room, and the dog bounded after.”
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After (preposition)
Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
“We had a few beers after the game.”
“The time is quarter after eight.”
“The Cold War began shortly after the Second World War.”
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After (preposition)
Behind.
“He will leave a trail of destruction after him.”
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After (preposition)
In pursuit of, seeking.
“He’s after a job; run after him; inquire after her health.”
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After (preposition)
In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing.
“We named him after his grandfather; a painting after Leonardo da Vinci.”
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After (preposition)
Next in importance or rank.
“The princess is next in line to the throne after the prince.”
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After (preposition)
As a result of.
“After your bad behaviour, you will be punished.”
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After (preposition)
In spite of.
“After all that has happened, he is still my friend.”
“I can’t believe that, after all our advice against gambling, you walked into that casino!”
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After (preposition)
Used to indicate recent completion of an activity
“I was after finishing my dinner when there was a knock on the door.”
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After (preposition)
According to an author or text.
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After (preposition)
Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to.
“to look after workmen; to enquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness”
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After (preposition)
According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting.
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After (conjunction)
Signifies that the action of the clause it starts takes place before the action of the other clause.
“I went home after we had decided to call it a day.”
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After (adjective)
Later; second (of two); next, following, subsequent
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After (adjective)
At or towards the stern of a ship.
“The after gun is mounted aft.”
“The after gun is abaft the forward gun.”
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Before (preposition)
Earlier than (in time).
“I want this done before Monday.”
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Before (preposition)
In front of in space.
“He stood before me.”
“We sat before the fire to warm ourselves.”
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Before (preposition)
In the presence of.
“He performed before the troops in North Africa.”
“He spoke before a joint session of Congress.”
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Before (preposition)
Under consideration, judgment, authority of (someone).
“The case laid before the panel aroused nothing but ridicule.”
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Before (preposition)
In store for, in the future of (someone).
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Before (preposition)
In front of, according to a formal system of ordering items.
“In alphabetical order, “cat” comes before “dog”, “canine” before feline”.”
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Before (preposition)
At a higher or greater position than, in a ranking.
“An entrepreneur puts market share and profit before quality, an amateur intrinsic qualities before economical considerations.”
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Before (adverb)
At an earlier time.
“I’ve never done this before.”
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Before (adverb)
In advance.
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Before (adverb)
At the front end.
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Before (conjunction)
in advance of the time when
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Before (conjunction)
rather or sooner than
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After (preposition)
in the time following (an event or another period of time)
“after a while he returned”
“he’d gone out with his secretary for an after-work drink”
“shortly after their marriage they moved to Colorado”
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After (preposition)
in phrases indicating something happening continuously or repeatedly
“day after day we kept studying”
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After (preposition)
past (used in specifying a time)
“I strolled in about ten minutes after two”
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After (preposition)
during the time following the departure or action of
“visitors will be required to clean up after their dogs”
“I tend to just tidy up after myself rather than doing a full clean all at once”
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After (preposition)
behind
“she went out, shutting the door after her”
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After (preposition)
(with reference to looking or speaking) in the direction of someone who is moving further away
“she stared after him”
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After (preposition)
in pursuit or quest of
“chasing after something you can’t have”
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After (preposition)
next to and following in order or importance
“in their order of priorities health comes after housing”
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After (preposition)
in allusion to (someone or something with the same or a related name)
“they named her Pauline, after Barbara’s mother”
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After (preposition)
in imitation of
“a drawing after Millet’s The Reapers”
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After (conjunction)
during the period of time following (an event)
“Duke Frederick died soon after”
“bath time ended in a flood after the taps were left running”
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After (adverb)
during the period of time following (an event)
“Duke Frederick died soon after”
“bath time ended in a flood after the taps were left running”
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After (adjective)
later
“he was sorry in after years”
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After (adjective)
nearer the stern of a ship
“the after cabin”
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Before (preposition)
during the period of time preceding (a particular event or time)
“she had to rest before dinner”
“his playing days had ended six years before”
“it’s never happened to me before”
“the day before yesterday”
“they lived rough for four days before they were arrested”
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Before (preposition)
in front of
“Matilda stood before her, panting”
“trotting through the city with guards running before and behind”
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Before (preposition)
in front of and required to answer to (a court of law, tribunal, or other authority)
“he could be taken before a magistrate for punishment”
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Before (preposition)
in preference to; rather than
“they would die before they would cooperate with each other”
“a skilled warrior who places duty before all else”
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Before (conjunction)
during the period of time preceding (a particular event or time)
“the day before yesterday”
“it’s never happened to me before”
“she had to rest before dinner”
“they lived rough for four days before they were arrested”
“his playing days had ended six years before”
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Before (conjunction)
in front of
“trotting through the city with guards running before and behind”
“Matilda stood before her, panting”
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Before (conjunction)
in preference to; rather than
“they would die before they would cooperate with each other”
“a skilled warrior who places duty before all else”
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Before (conjunction)
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Before (conjunction)
in front of and required to answer to (a court of law, tribunal, or other authority)
“he could be taken before a magistrate for punishment”
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Before (adverb)
during the period of time preceding (a particular event or time)
“it’s never happened to me before”
“the day before yesterday”
“she had to rest before dinner”
“his playing days had ended six years before”
“they lived rough for four days before they were arrested”
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Before (adverb)
in front of
“trotting through the city with guards running before and behind”
“Matilda stood before her, panting”
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Before (adverb)
in preference to; rather than
“they would die before they would cooperate with each other”
“a skilled warrior who places duty before all else”
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Before (adverb)
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Before (adverb)
in front of and required to answer to (a court of law, tribunal, or other authority)
“he could be taken before a magistrate for punishment”