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

Considered somewhat of an afterthought in the left tackle competition, Amegadjie played a day’s worth of snaps for the coaches to observe. — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 31 July 2026

But out-of-home viewing has to become a core pillar of any rights holder or sponsor’s plans, not an afterthought. — Leo MacLehose, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026

First, integrate context and governance into data creation, not as an afterthought. — Susan Laine, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

The female body, however, has historically been an afterthought for longevity bros and the medical industry alike. — Sarah Digregorio, Vanity Fair, 27 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