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

If the Rubio summit is serious about breaking China’s grip on critical minerals, recycling cannot be an afterthought. —Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Over the past decade or so, the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic competition has gone from being something of an afterthought to one of the more interesting lineups of the international festival circuit. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026

Both remember the days when the Mavericks, who play home games at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, were an afterthought among Kansas City’s pro sports teams. —Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026

It’s been trending this way for a few years, but quarterback development has become an afterthought at most high-level programs. —Antonio Morales, New York Times, 23 Jan. 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