afterthought

[ af-ter-thawt, ahf- ]

/ ˈæf tərˌθɔt, ˈɑf- /

a later or second thought; reconsideration.

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

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.

Origin of afterthought

First recorded in 1655–65; after + thought¹

Students—both victims and the accused—are not even an afterthought; they are completely left out of the guidelines.

Colleges Lawyer Up Before Claire McCaskill Rape Inquiry |Emily Shire |June 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Upward mobility and reward for work seems to be an afterthought for all concerned.

Obama Misfires in the War on Poverty |Lloyd Green |January 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In the American sommelier community, until very recently, South African wines have remained largely an afterthought.

Drink Like Nelson Mandela: South Africa’s Exciting New Wine |Jordan Salcito |December 14, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Now, this repeal was not an afterthought or an unintended consequence.

Health Care Now, Health Care Then |Michael Tomasky |September 23, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Almost as an afterthought he flashed me another knowing grin, but again his eyes told me to let sleeping dogs lie.

The Myths of Matthew Shepard’s Infamous Death |Stephen Jimenez |September 22, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Here a name had been painstakingly obliterated, as if by afterthought, the very paper being gouged through with ink.

The Plunderer |Roy Norton
"Guess Bill knew something—he generally does," as an afterthought.

The Story of the Foss River Ranch |Ridgwell Cullum
I contrived to feast somewhat less simply on bacon and eggs, through an afterthought inspiration.

Turner |William Cosmo Monkhouse
Yet, as a kind of afterthought, completing the review of his life, the detail is natural.

Expositor's Bible: The Book of Job |Robert Watson
San Gimignanos Palazzo del Commune dates from 1298, but its tower was an afterthought, built a century later.

Italian Highways and Byways from a Motor Car |Francis Miltoun

afterthought

/ (ˈɑːftəˌθɔːt) /

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

an addition to something already completed