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

Marketing is often an afterthought for small businesses because they’re stretched thin. —Allbusiness, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

And just to prove that the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is the complete package, the food is no afterthought here, either. —Christina Liao, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025

To a single man whose family lives an ocean away, how the team treats a player's family might have been an afterthought. —Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025

For most of the run of one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, diversity was an afterthought. —Maya Phillips, New York Times, 20 Feb. 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