the next chapter

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the upcoming phase of a story, endeavour, or trajectory that follows a completed or closing period; the phrase applies the narrative metaphor of a book's chapter divisions to personal, organisational, or historical development, framing what comes next as both a continuation of what preceded it and a distinct new section with its own character and possibilities; in the context of Africa's development, the next chapter metaphor is used optimistically to signal that the era of colonialism, structural adjustment, and dependency narratives is giving way to a period of African agency, demographic dividend, and technological transformation — a new chapter whose terms will be written by Africans themselves