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 Princess Ita’s final resting place was first excavated by French archeologist Jacques de Morgan in the late 1800s, Ita was somewhat of an afterthought, Hashesh says. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 17 July 2026

Mascots, once an afterthought, are celebrities—Gritty, the beguiling ogre that represents Philadelphia’s hockey team, the Flyers, has significantly more Instagram followers than any of the team’s players. — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

That single deal signals that global capital has stopped treating five countries wedged between Russia and China as an afterthought. — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Why stadium food rankings matter now Concessions have become part of the fan experience, not an afterthought. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 16 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