Afterwards vs Subsequently

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Afterwards

Top 2,000 (common) B2 adverb

Subsequently

Top 3,000 (common) B2 adverb

Most common: Afterwards

	Afterwards	Subsequently
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɑːftəwədz/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈæftərwərdz/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈsʌbsɪkwəntli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈsʌbsɪkwəntli/"]/
Meaning	After something happens, at a later time.	After something else has happened.
Example	Afterwards she was sorry for what she'd said.	The original interview notes were subsequently lost.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 3,000 (common)
CEFR level	B2	B2
Part of speech	adverb	adverb
Collocations	arrive afterwards, meet afterwards, discuss afterwards, see each other afterwards, leave afterwards	subsequently published, subsequently discovered, subsequently revealed
Antonyms	beforehand, previously	previously, beforehand, earlier, formerly
Common mistakes	Confused with 'after' (not interchangeable)., Omitting 's' in 'afterwards' when using it in sentences., Using 'afterwards' too early in a sentence.	Confused with 'consequently' which indicates a cause-effect relationship., Using 'subsequently' at the beginning of a sentence without a previous idea., Omitting it when listing steps in a process.
Usage notes	Used in both spoken and written English, 'afterwards' is appropriate for neutral contexts. Avoid in very formal writing where 'subsequently' may be preferred.	Use 'subsequently' to connect events in a formal or academic context. It may not fit in casual conversations.

See it in real clips

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

and made peace afterwards.

Someone else claims he heard the killing, saw the boy run out afterwards.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

And I didn't feel good afterwards.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

and made peace afterwards.

Someone else claims he heard the killing, saw the boy run out afterwards.

Afterwards

Frequently asked questions: Afterwards vs Subsequently

What's the difference between Afterwards and Subsequently?

Afterwards: After something happens, at a later time. Subsequently: After something else has happened.

Which is more common: Afterwards and Subsequently?

Afterwards is the most common in everyday English.

Are Afterwards and Subsequently the same CEFR level?

Afterwards: B2, Subsequently: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Afterwards and Subsequently?

Afterwards: adverb, Subsequently: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Afterwards: Afterwards she was sorry for what she'd said. Subsequently: The original interview notes were subsequently lost.

Can I use Afterwards and Subsequently interchangeably?

Not always. Afterwards and Subsequently are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.