postscript

¹ American  

[pohst-skript, pohs-] / ˈpoʊstˌskrɪpt, ˈpoʊs- /

noun

1. a paragraph, phrase, etc., added to a letter that has already been concluded and signed by the writer.

2. any addition or supplement, as one appended by a writer to a book to supply further information.

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PostScript ² American  

[pohst-skript, pohs‑] / ˈpoʊstˌskrɪpt, ˈpoʊs‑ /

Trademark.

1. a page description language using scalable fonts that can be printed on a variety of appropriately equipped devices, including laser printers and professional-quality imagesetters.

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postscript British  

/ ˈpəʊsˌskrɪpt, ˈpəʊst- /

noun

1. a message added at the end of a letter, after the signature

2. any supplement, as to a document or book

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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."

Example Sentences

The letter includes a postscript from Sorensen, in which he discloses Rousseau’s retirement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

But Hardy's thoughts - and Mourinho's hard-line pragmatism - actually make the origin of the above lines ambiguous: a post-match quote or a poet's postscript?

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

Still, in the book’s postscript, McMaster hopes “that young people who have persevered through these pages will conclude that, even under challenging circumstances, there are tremendous rewards associated with service under any administration.”

From Slate • Sep. 2, 2024

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

It’s another note on blue-green construction paper, and it starts with a postscript.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Related Words

• appendix
• footnote