A friend acquired or valued primarily after an initial meeting or circumstance, or a friend who remains in one's life after a significant event.
Compound of 'after' (Old English 'æfter', meaning 'behind' or 'following') and 'friend' (Old English 'freond', from Germanic root meaning 'to love'). The combination suggests a friendship that develops in the subsequent period rather than at first meeting.
This captures something real about human relationships—many of our closest friends aren't instant connections but people who become important 'after' some initial shared experience, like surviving a difficult time together or reconnecting years later.
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