afterthought

noun

af·​ter·​thought ˈaf-tər-ˌthȯt How to pronounce afterthought (audio)
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 As almost an afterthought in that announcement, Long Beach State added that Monson and director of athletics Bobby Smitheran mutually agreed that Monson would remain as coach to see the Beach through their postseason. Kevin Dotson, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 Cloud vendors have long been talking up the benefits of having someone else operate your infrastructure, yet backup of customer data in services like Microsoft 365 has been an afterthought. Justin Warren, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Ten months later, the New York case has become less of an afterthought. TIME, 8 Feb. 2024 During Bayern's 11-year run of German titles, the Bundesliga has indeed sometimes seemed an afterthought compared to dreams of European glory. James Ellingworth, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 This was architecture that treated humans as an afterthought. Curbed, 24 Jan. 2024 According to Spicher, accent chairs aren’t meant to be an afterthought, and this swoon-worthy style from Pottery Barn makes a good case. L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024 Or the resorts where food isn’t just an afterthought? Saveur Editors, Saveur, 28 Feb. 2024 An aircraft’s tires are usually an afterthought for most airline passengers. Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afterthought.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

after- + thought entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of afterthought was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near afterthought

Cite this Entry

“Afterthought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afterthought. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

afterthought

noun
af·​ter·​thought -ˌthȯt How to pronounce afterthought (audio)
1
: a later thought about something one has done or said
2
: something not thought of originally

More from Merriam-Webster on afterthought

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