aftereffect
noun
af·ter·ef·fect
ˈaf-tər-ə-ˌfekt 
: an effect that follows its cause after an interval
Examples of aftereffect in a Sentence
in the U.S. slavery was abolished in 1865, but its aftereffects remained keenly felt long afterwards
Recent Examples on the Web
The two brothers haven’t seen eye to eye in years, and though King Charles reportedly wants to reconcile with his son—perhaps an aftereffect of his cancer journey, Prince William doesn’t seem as inclined to do so.
—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 15 July 2025
An installment in which Felix visits his dysfunctional parents—and is flooded with bad childhood memories—serves as a reminder of just how well Dunham writes the decades-long aftereffects of familial instability.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
There have been a lot of events in the past five or six years in Turkey that were expected to wound Erdoğan’s popularity, such as his erratic economic management, or the government’s failure to protect people from the aftereffects of a horrific earthquake in 2023.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
Lingering aftereffects were a factor in his death in 2019 at 58.
—Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for aftereffect
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Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 15 July 2025
An installment in which Felix visits his dysfunctional parents—and is flooded with bad childhood memories—serves as a reminder of just how well Dunham writes the decades-long aftereffects of familial instability.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
There have been a lot of events in the past five or six years in Turkey that were expected to wound Erdoğan’s popularity, such as his erratic economic management, or the government’s failure to protect people from the aftereffects of a horrific earthquake in 2023.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
Lingering aftereffects were a factor in his death in 2019 at 58.
—Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for aftereffect
Cite this Entry
“Aftereffect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aftereffect. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aftereffect
noun
af·ter·ef·fect
-ə-ˌfekt
: an effect that arises after the first or immediate effect has decreased or disappeared
a medicine with no noticeable aftereffects
Medical Definition
aftereffect
noun
af·ter·ef·fect
ˈaf-tə-ri-ˌfekt
1
: an effect that follows its cause after an interval
the aftereffects of surgery
2
: a secondary result especially in the action of a drug coming on after the subsidence of the first effect
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