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

Executives should look to embed security by design in all data projects—not as an afterthought, but as a foundational principle. — Jess Turner, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Bruckhart said for the longest time, social media looked at as an afterthought because there was no one to focus on it. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 5 Nov. 2026

This season, though, fashion girls are proving that layering a jacket over a dress doesn’t have to feel like an afterthought. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026

Where lettuce splashed with vinaigrette can feel like an afterthought, a juicy, savory-slanting pear salad is worth making room for on a plate full of turkey and cornbread. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 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