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

Pricing should no longer be siloed or treated as an afterthought. —Ashish Verma, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

In this proceeding, fairness to victims was an afterthought. —Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2025

While James is not an afterthought, the 40-year-old may feel joining another team is the best move at this point in his career. —Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025

The campaign makes clear that women’s violations should not be an afterthought. —Lashawn Harris august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 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