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

Ignoring Corners—or Overfilling Them Corners tend to become afterthoughts or package drop-offs. —Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026

Charlotte has taken off of late behind a promising young core led by Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Kneuppel, and McNeeley has been somewhat of an afterthought this season. —Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026

The upstairs room, a supper club, is smallish and cheaply finished; the food is an afterthought, the party never-starting. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026

The primary settings of the first two seasons are more or less an afterthought now. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 1 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