afterthought

noun

af·​ter·​thought ˈaf-tər-ˌthȯt 

1

: an idea occurring later

2

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

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

Prior to his injury, post-workout recovery was a nuisance, while proper nutrition was an afterthought, even though Lyons has Type 2 diabetes. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025

Fraud prevention in hiring cannot be an afterthought. —Casey Marquette, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

After joining the Yankees as somewhat of an afterthought in their trade to acquire Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres, outfielder Trent Grisham has enjoyed the best season of his career this year. —Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025

That’s why roads are a core responsibility of local government, not an afterthought. —Belal Aftab, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 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