afterhours

Afterhours (often written after-hours or after-hours) is a term used to describe the time following the end of standard business hours. It indicates activities, services, or operations that occur outside the regular workday, typically in the late evening or night. The phrase is used in various contexts to denote events, services, or market activity that operate beyond the usual daytime schedule.

In finance, after-hours trading refers to the buying and selling of securities outside the regular stock market session. These trading periods usually have lower liquidity and higher volatility, and may be subject to different rules and order types than those of the standard trading hours.

In commerce and services, after-hours can describe offerings that occur outside normal hours, such as urgent care or medical clinics operating after the typical workday, as well as retail events or membership-based shopping sessions held beyond standard business hours.

In nightlife and entertainment, after-hours venues and events stay open past typical closing times, catering to late-night crowds and extending performances or music into the early morning hours. The concept is also associated with late-night culture more broadly.

In popular culture, the term appears as a title or motif in various works. Notable examples include the 1985 film After Hours by Martin Scorsese, and the 2020 studio album After Hours by the Canadian artist The Weeknd. The usage across contexts reflects the broad sense of activity that continues past conventional hours.