after all

adverb

1
: in spite of considerations or expectations to the contrary : nevertheless
decided to take the train after all
didn't rain after all
2
: in view of all circumstances
literature which is after all only a special department of readingW. W. Watt

Examples of after all in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Clarksdale, after all, calls itself the birthplace of the blues and is also the site of the crossroads where, around 1930, Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for supreme guitar artistry. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025 This tiny change could persuade some users that sooner is better, after all. David Phelan, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025 The Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 index were also down more than 3 percent Friday morning, a day after all three indexes suffered their worst single-day losses since 2020. Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2025 Humans are flawed, after all, and Arpana appears to more easily yield to her desires for materialistic pleasure. Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for after all

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of after all was in 1590

Cite this Entry

“After all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/after%20all. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

after all

adverb
: in spite of what was indicated or expected
decided to go after all
it rained after all

More from Merriam-Webster on after all

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