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

Grant understood the balancing act meant chasing softball history couldn’t make basketball an afterthought, and basketball couldn’t pull her far from the sport that had shaped her life. —Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 15 May 2026

Environmental-news headlines get little attention, court challenges play out in obscurity, and when people do protest, our air, water, forests, and oceans seem like afterthoughts amid so many other worthy causes. —John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026

Too often content is an afterthought, fragmented by ineffective cross-org collaboration and unclear accountability from teams that operate within a very narrow, sub-optimal band of tactics. —Stephen Diorio, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026

The health of future residents, students and parkgoers cannot be an afterthought. —Michelle De La Uz, New York Daily News, 13 May 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