afterthought

noun

af·​ter·​thought ˈaf-tər-ˌthȯt 

1

: an idea occurring later

made the suggestion as an afterthought

2

: something (such as a part or feature) not thought of originally : something secondary

a seating area added as an afterthought to the office

Examples of afterthought in a Sentence

Then I remembered, almost as an afterthought, to feed the cat.

The fact was hidden deep in the report, almost as an afterthought.

The lounge was added to the office as an afterthought.

Recent Examples on the Web

Patients become afterthoughts in a transaction between large, faceless institutions. —Anthony Digiorgio, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025

Andrew Lahodynskyj / Getty Images James reaching double figures was usually an afterthought long before the start of fourth quarters. —CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025

With Buster Posey at the helm of baseball operations and Tony Vitello calling the shots from the dugout, the Giants have an opportunity to rebrand from a big-market afterthought franchise to one that — like Bonds — lives in the minds of all baseball fans rent-free. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025

Even without gimmicks, shooting never feels like an afterthought, with tense firefights punctuating methodical exploration. —PC Magazine, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

after- + thought entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for afterthought

• aeronaut
• aforethought
• apricot
• argonaut
• astronaut
• camelot
• coffeepot
• concordat
• cosmonaut
• entrepot
• flowerpot
• huguenot

Kids Definition

afterthought

noun

af·​ter·​thought -ˌthȯt 

1

: a later thought about something one has done or said

2

: something not thought of originally