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

That has given Zavagnin a unique perspective on how soccer has gone from an afterthought to a vibrant part of Kansas City. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026

The plot is a bit of an afterthought, but the increasingly bonkers action sequences are among the best of the year. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 24 July 2026

Often an afterthought in RVs, the bathroom might just be the Aboard's biggest T4 triumph. — New Atlas, 23 July 2026

Margo Paige blends traditional bag construction with clear PVC materials to create more elevated stadium bag styles that don’t feel like an afterthought. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 23 July 2026

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