aftermath

noun

af·​ter·​math ˈaf-tər-ˌmath How to pronounce aftermath (audio)
1
: a second-growth crop

called also rowen

2
: consequence, result
stricken with guilt as an aftermath of the accident
3
: the period immediately following a usually ruinous event
in the aftermath of the war

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Breaking Down Aftermath

At first glance, one might calculate aftermath to be closely related to mathematics and its cropped form math. But the math of mathematics (which came to English ultimately from Greek) and the math of aftermath grew from different roots. Aftermath dates to the late 1400s and was originally an agricultural term, an offshoot of the ancient word math, meaning “a mowing.” The original aftermath came, of course, after the math: it was historically the crop cut, grazed, or plowed under after the first crop of the season from the same soil. (Math is still used in some parts of the United Kingdom to refer to a mowing of a grass or hay crop, as well as to the crop that is mowed.) It wasn’t until the mid-1600s that aftermath came to have the meanings now familiar to us, referring to the period of time following a destructive event, or to a negative consequence or result.

Examples of aftermath in a Sentence

the surgery was successful, but she now had to deal with its aftermath: a huge bill
Recent Examples on the Web But the rudderless company has not found peace ever since veteran CEO Andy Palmer departed in the immediate aftermath, with Hallmark now set to become the fourth CEO in as many years. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 An analysis of the site’s flora and fauna also found an abundance of fish remains in the aftermath of the eruption. Katie Hunt, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 The best-selling book tells the story of the desperate search for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Lincoln’s assassination. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024 In a deviation from the department’s policy, Silva was not sequestered from the other officers in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and in fact rode back to the station with one of them. Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 DeLuca also acknowledged deleting Instagram posts from her profile in the immediate aftermath of January 6, the affidavit says. CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024 In the immediate aftermath on Oscar night, social media users took aim at Glazer’s words, misinterpreting his statement as refuting Jewishness itself, rather than the hijacking of Jewishness. Herb Scribner, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 Fans’ reactions in the immediate aftermath of its release were notably intense. Vogue, 17 Mar. 2024 In the immediate aftermath, Terri experienced short term memory loss. Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

after- + math "mowing," going back to Middle English *math, going back to a short-vowel variant (perhaps of Germanic date) of Old English mǣþ, going back to Germanic *mēþa- (whence Old Saxon mād- —in māddag "mowing day"—, Old High German āmād "aftermath"), derivative with the nominal suffix *-to- from the base of *mēan- "to mow entry 2"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aftermath was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Aftermath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aftermath. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aftermath

noun
af·​ter·​math ˈaf-tər-ˌmath How to pronounce aftermath (audio)
1
: result entry 2 sense 1, consequence
felt tired as an aftermath of the race
2
: the period immediately following a usually destructive event
the aftermath of war
Etymology

Old English mæth "mowing," from māwan "to mow"

Word Origin
The second part of aftermath comes from the Old English word mæth, meaning "the result of a mowing or harvesting," that is, a crop. This word was derived from the Old English verb māwan, which survives today as our modern English mow. During a good growing season in England, a second and sometimes a third crop of hay could be grown after the first mowing. When this crop was cut, it was the aftermath. Since the 17th century, the meaning of aftermath has broadened to include all kinds of results, not just those of a second mowing.

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