afterthought.

An idea, addition, or concern considered only after the main matter was settled or prepared.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• add as an afterthought
• treat as an afterthought

On the page

The invitation to her sounded like an afterthought rather than a welcome.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Singular afterthought; plural afterthoughts. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.