afterthought

American  

[af-ter-thawt, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌθɔt, ˈɑf- /

noun

1. a later or second thought; reconsideration.

2. reflection after an act; an appropriate explanation, answer, expedient, or the like, conceived of too late for the occasion.

3. something added, as a part or feature, that was not included in the original plan or design.

   The vestry was added to the church as an afterthought.

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afterthought British  

/ ˈɑːftəˌθɔːt /

noun

1. a comment, reply, etc, that occurs to one after the opportunity to deliver it has passed

2. an addition to something already completed

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Etymology

Origin of afterthought

First recorded in 1655–65; after + thought ¹

Explanation

An afterthought is something you think of or add later. You might quickly wrap a gift and then stick a bow on it as an afterthought just before you hand it to the birthday boy. Sometimes calling something an afterthought is a bit of an insult — a movie reviewer might complain that female characters seem added on as afterthoughts, or a diner at a fancy restaurant could note that while the meat is well-cooked, the vegetables are nothing but an afterthought. This word has been used since the 1600s, a compound of after and thought.

Example Sentences

The only distinguishing features were a few hurried strips of grilled chicken and a light dusting of Tony Chachere’s — not stirred into the sauce, mind you, but sprinkled on top, like an afterthought.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

"We were kind of going with the flow at this stage but at this point, it already felt that we were a bit of an afterthought, let's say," Lee added.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

To Paul Ehrlich, and the radical environmentalists who revered him, they were at best an afterthought.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

In training, cost has been an afterthought, but in inference, where the money will be made, cost is key, and computing needs are mixed.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

As an afterthought, she took the alethiometer from her pouch and hid it in the inmost pocket of the anorak before shoving that through too.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman