afterthought

American  

[af-ter-thawt, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌθɔt, ˈɑf- /

noun

1. a later or second thought; reconsideration.

2. reflection after an act; an appropriate explanation, answer, expedient, or the like, conceived of too late for the occasion.

3. something added, as a part or feature, that was not included in the original plan or design.

   The vestry was added to the church as an afterthought.

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afterthought British  

/ ˈɑːftəˌθɔːt /

noun

1. a comment, reply, etc, that occurs to one after the opportunity to deliver it has passed

2. an addition to something already completed

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Etymology

Origin of afterthought

First recorded in 1655–65; after + thought ¹

Example Sentences

America’s shale industry was starting to become an afterthought—production had flattened and was expected to decline.

From Barron's

For the past few years, central processing units, or CPUs—the core engines of most computers, from laptops to smartphones to data-center servers—have been something of an afterthought in the world of artificial-intelligence computing.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We were kind of going with the flow at this stage but at this point, it already felt that we were a bit of an afterthought, let's say," Lee added.

From BBC

They are not an afterthought starch; they are structural.

From Salon

Yet Norris, who idolized John Wayne as a child, became an actor as an afterthought.

From Barron's