postscript
1 Americannoun
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a paragraph, phrase, etc., added to a letter that has already been concluded and signed by the writer.
-
any addition or supplement, as one appended by a writer to a book to supply further information.
noun
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a message added at the end of a letter, after the signature
-
any supplement, as to a document or book
Other Word Forms
- subpostscript noun
Etymology
Origin of postscript
1515–25; < Latin postscrīptum, neuter past participle of postscrībere to write after
Explanation
A postscript is text added at the end of a book or other document. Your textbook is so long that by the time you finish it, you're too exhausted to read the postscript. Postscript comes from the Latin word postscribere, with post meaning after and scribere meaning to write. A postscript especially refers to a note added after the signature of a letter. In this use, it's often abbreviated as P.S. A mother's favorite thing might be getting a letter from her kid at camp that says, "I love you, Mom," especially if there is a postscript adding hugs and kisses, written this way: "P.S. XOXOXOXOX."
Vocabulary lists containing postscript
The Princess Bride
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Black Beauty
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #15
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The letter includes a postscript from Sorensen, in which he discloses Rousseau’s retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
But there are some indications that this particular release will be a farewell postscript for Alito’s service.
From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026
There is no postscript to tell viewers what happened to Gibson after the scandal blew up, or whether she faced any consequences.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025
The last of the solitudinous pandemic albums have trickled out, putting a postscript on a period of intense upheaval and existential dread.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 23, 2023
A few days later he adds a postscript: he’s not going to be kept on at the school.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
