Afterward vs. afterword

What does afterward mean?

Afterward is an adverb meaning at a later or future time.

For example

·      She only found out about his crimes long afterward.

What does afterword mean?

Afterword is a noun which means a concluding section in a book.

For example:

·      In this book’s afterword, the author explains their motivations for writing the story.

What’s the difference between afterward and afterword?

Afterward means at a later time, while afterword is a concluding section of a book.

For example:

·      The afterword explains what happened to the characters afterward.