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

Vocational schools were regarded as an afterthought, a last-ditch option, offering vastly less prestige than traditional universities, particularly vaunted Ivy League institutions. —Stephen Tave, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025

Most Thanksgiving salads become an afterthought, just a way to eat some greens. —Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025

In the mayoral race between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, Adams was relegated to an afterthought, an object of ridicule and scorn. —Molly Ball, Time, 29 Oct. 2025

In fact, the stereo mix came out way back in 2019, and the Atmos was only done relatively recently, almost as an afterthought. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 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