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
Organizations can no longer afford to treat mental health as an afterthought.
—
Mindi Cox, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
To keep communities safe, security must no longer be an afterthought.
—Donald J. Mihalek, ABC News, 3 June 2025
Nearly six months ago, Bryant was an afterthought, receiving 13 DNPs on a middling Miami Heat team.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 1 June 2025
It was used as a patio during the pandemic but has been mostly an afterthought since.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for afterthought
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mindi Cox, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
To keep communities safe, security must no longer be an afterthought.
—Donald J. Mihalek, ABC News, 3 June 2025
Nearly six months ago, Bryant was an afterthought, receiving 13 DNPs on a middling Miami Heat team.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 1 June 2025
It was used as a patio during the pandemic but has been mostly an afterthought since.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for afterthought
Cite this Entry
“Afterthought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afterthought. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
afterthought
noun
af·ter·thought
-ˌthȯt
1
: a later thought about something one has done or said
2
: something not thought of originally
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share