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

Ajay Mitchell, an afterthought on last year’s season and a developmental success story this season, scored the next four points to tie it. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026

Meanwhile, Rae Huang — a pastor, an organizing leader, and a working mother — is treated as an afterthought. —Caleb W Crowder, Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026

Remember the Wolverines started the Southern Section Open Division playoffs last month as an afterthought after losing three of the last four regular-season games. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026

To go through another stretch run where the standings are an afterthought and some guys are simply playing out the string? —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 8 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