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

When training is treated like a shortcut, safety becomes an afterthought. —Samantha Greenberg, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026

Instead of seeing a petite workspace as an afterthought, take inspiration from these small laundry room ideas. —Lindsey Mather, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026

Amid such a tumult of exertion and indulgence, the art of directing may seem like an afterthought or a footnote to the sheer volume of creative work that occurs even when the camera isn’t rolling. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

The Mets ended up winning 9-0 — a lopsided result that felt like an afterthought compared to the ice cream saga playing out on the broadcast. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 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