afterthought

noun

af·​ter·​thought ˈaf-tər-ˌthȯt How to pronounce afterthought (audio)
1
: an idea occurring later
2
: something (such as a part or feature) not thought of originally : something secondary

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Security And Compliance By Design Security and compliance are not afterthoughts in industrial DataOps; instead, they are embedded by design. Nagesh Nama, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Sustainability as a First Principle Environmental performance is not an afterthought in my work; it’s embedded from the start. Nathanael Bondu, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025 But the talented 2022 second-round pick had mostly been an afterthought during his rookie season. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025 The parents were kind of an afterthought. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for afterthought

Word History

Etymology

after- + thought entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of afterthought was in 1590

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Cite this Entry

“Afterthought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afterthought. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

afterthought

noun
af·​ter·​thought -ˌthȯt How to pronounce afterthought (audio)
1
: a later thought about something one has done or said
2
: something not thought of originally

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