afterthought

noun

af·​ter·​thought ˈaf-tər-ˌthȯt 

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

But at the time of the trade, he was viewed as an afterthought. —Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

Advertisement Advertisement There is a long and painful history of antisemitism being treated as an afterthought—even in spaces devoted to human rights and justice. —Jay Rosenzweig, Time, 22 May 2025

Of course, 48 Record Bar’s wooden crates stuffed with records is a central part of the bar’s identity—but drinks are not an afterthought. —Emily Bloch, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 May 2025

In the opening days of this administration, Congress has been an afterthought, with Republican representatives declining to either check Trump or do much lawmaking. —Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 13 May 2025

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