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

Here’s more proof that Porsche’s regional special editions are anything but an afterthought. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 May 2026

And the main storyline of Hannah and Garret falling in love doesn’t mean Levy was willing to make hockey an afterthought. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026

San Francisco’s wellness-forward culture has made zero proof drinks a default rather than an afterthought. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026

Andre James was largely an afterthought. —Daniel Popper, New York Times, 21 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