An action or deed that follows or occurs after another action; a subsequent act or consequence.
From 'after' (from Old English 'æfter') combined with 'act' (from Latin 'actus'). Created as a compound word to describe sequential actions.
English loves using 'after-' to create new words describing what comes next: 'aftereffect,' 'afterthought,' 'aftermath'—it's a way of showing that the first event isn't the end of the story.
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