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
But after the initial promo, the league has been treated as an afterthought in some respects.
—
Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Other candidates and committees are an afterthought, left to squabble over his scraps.
—Michelle Cottle, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Suburban Michigan is full of winding roads dotted with identical houses, strip malls stuffed with chain restaurants and big-box stores, and thoroughfares designed for cars, with pedestrian walkways as an afterthought.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
These systems can help ensure that cybersecurity is a priority from day one of a building’s upgrade and is never an afterthought, even when things get busy.
—Billal Hammoud, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The political establishment and San Diego media often treated the then-chief deputy city attorney as an afterthought.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
Most clients, says Duprat, who started designing private gardens in the early 1980s, treat the discipline as an afterthought.
—Michael Snyder Pedro Kok, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
They are often enshrined in policies external to trade agreements and are cynically, but sometimes accurately, viewed as an afterthought.
—Harry G. Broadman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Shops like Reed’s are a cultural touchpoint for Black women, who say their hair needs seem like an afterthought at most major chains.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2024
Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Other candidates and committees are an afterthought, left to squabble over his scraps.
—Michelle Cottle, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Suburban Michigan is full of winding roads dotted with identical houses, strip malls stuffed with chain restaurants and big-box stores, and thoroughfares designed for cars, with pedestrian walkways as an afterthought.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
These systems can help ensure that cybersecurity is a priority from day one of a building’s upgrade and is never an afterthought, even when things get busy.
—Billal Hammoud, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The political establishment and San Diego media often treated the then-chief deputy city attorney as an afterthought.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
Most clients, says Duprat, who started designing private gardens in the early 1980s, treat the discipline as an afterthought.
—Michael Snyder Pedro Kok, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
They are often enshrined in policies external to trade agreements and are cynically, but sometimes accurately, viewed as an afterthought.
—Harry G. Broadman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Shops like Reed’s are a cultural touchpoint for Black women, who say their hair needs seem like an afterthought at most major chains.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afterthought.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near afterthought
Cite this Entry
“Afterthought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afterthought. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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
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