Following vs Thereafter

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

Following

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Thereafter

Formal Beyond 10,000 (less common) C1 adverb

Most formal: Thereafter Most common: Following

	Following	Thereafter
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfɑːləʊɪŋ/"]/ Hear Following	🇬🇧 /["/ˌðeərˈɑːftə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˌðerˈæftər/"]/ Hear Thereafter
Meaning	To come after something or someone.	after that time
Example	Answer the following questions.	She married at 17 and gave birth to her first child shortly thereafter.
Register	Neutral	Formal
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR level	A2	C1
Part of speech	adjective	adverb
Collocations	following instructions, following someone, following a trend	thereafter stated, thereafter mentioned, thereafter noted
Antonyms	preceding, leading	before, prior to, previously
Common mistakes	Confused with 'preceeding' - using 'following' incorrectly to describe something that comes before., Using 'follow' instead of 'following' in adjective form.	Using it incorrectly to indicate a specific time instead of a sequence., Confusing it with 'after' or 'then' in casual contexts., Placing it incorrectly in a sentence, disrupting the flow.
Usage notes	Use 'following' to indicate something that comes next in time or order. It's appropriate in various contexts, including writing and conversation, but avoid using it in overly casual settings when referring to people.	Used primarily in writing, particularly in formal contexts such as academic papers or literature. It is less common in everyday spoken language. Avoid using it in casual conversations.

Frequently asked questions: Following vs Thereafter

What's the difference between Following and Thereafter?

Following: To come after something or someone. Thereafter: after that time

Which is more formal: Following and Thereafter?

Thereafter is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Following and Thereafter?

Following is the most common in everyday English.

Are Following and Thereafter the same CEFR level?

Following: A2, Thereafter: C1 on the CEFR scale.

Can I use Following and Thereafter interchangeably?

Not always. Following and Thereafter 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.