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

Yet workplace design is often treated as an afterthought. —Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

Whatever privacy Hardwick had been entitled to was an afterthought. —Martin Padgett june 12, Literary Hub, 12 June 2025

Every dollar spent on students who don’t want to learn is a dollar not spent on those who do, and gifted and talented students are almost an afterthought now. —Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 12 June 2025

This requires involving disabled people—not as an afterthought, but as key contributors to innovation. —Jessica Smith, Time, 6 June 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