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

Earlier this year, Becerra was a single-digit polling afterthought in the crowded race to replace Newsom, who is termed-out. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Despite Jebreal issuing a public apology on X, critics rejected her damage control as a hollow, defensive afterthought. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Most people don’t think about the color and treat it as an afterthought; but for me, the color is like a lens through which to tell your story. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Explainability and traceability cannot be added as an afterthought. — Stephen MacFarlane, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 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