Rufous

Definition of AFTERMATH

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: a second-growth crop

called also
rowen

: the period immediately following a usually ruinous event

in the aftermath of the war

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

Examples of aftermath in a Sentence

the surgery was successful, but she now had to deal with its aftermath: a huge bill

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In early February, in the aftermath of the executive order, Letitia James, the New York attorney general, published a letter warning hospitals that withholding services on the basis of gender violates state law.

—Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025

In the aftermath of the 2020 Silverado and Blue Ridge fires, there was an interest in early detection and rapid response technology.

—Mona Darwish, Orange County Register, 18 Feb. 2025

Zoom in: Lutnick, who joined Cantor Fitzgerald after graduating college in the 1980s, became one of the most prominent business voices in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

—Maria Curi, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025

Staffing Concerns The firings come amid fresh concerns over staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities in the aftermath of the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in decades.

—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025

See all Example Sentences for aftermath

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

Dictionary Entries Near aftermath

Cite this Entry

“Aftermath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aftermath. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.