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

Chloe Judge, an interior designer at Mackenzie Collier Interiors shares similar sentiments, noting that many people view the backyard as an afterthought. —Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026

Two other films that clawed their way to Best Picture nominations, Bugonia and Train Dreams, were afterthoughts. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026

Embed governance from day one, not as afterthought compliance. —K. H. Koehler, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Time is not an afterthought here. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 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