afterthought

American  

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

noun

• afterthoughts
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• afterthoughts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of afterthought

First recorded in 1655–65; after + thought ¹

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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

See Examples For:

afterthought afterthoughts

Sharing with the BBC the scheme's effect on her, she said she had been made to feel like an "afterthought", which was "just appalling".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

"If we want global biodiversity targets to mean something, tropical insects cannot remain an afterthought," Dr. Chowdhury said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

I watched a sixth-round afterthought — the 199th pick in the draft, a kid nobody had wanted on their team — walk onto the field and start rewriting what was possible.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Historically, chicken was a bit of an afterthought in fast food.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

As if it was a casual afterthought, I added, “And don’t tell your folks about Miss Love stayin’ in the comp’ny room at Grandpa’s house.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

So these are not just sort of weird random afterthoughts or vestiges.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

The sport was so closely woven into the fabric of Nordic culture that U.S. skiers knew they started every race as mere afterthoughts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

The viewer’s in for an unexpected twist, too, seeing as all of these characters but Rachel will soon be afterthoughts, tossed aside to maintain a constant laser focus on Marty’s hijinks.

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2025

Following his death, some wondered if he had wound up in a rough-and-tumble league where skill and technique are afterthoughts.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2023

He ate hot eggs, warm bread, reveled in steaming tea, although the water from which the tea was made left an aftertaste in the mouth, afterthoughts in the brain: from what nearby bam?

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

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