postscript
POHST-skript
/ˈpoʊstskrɪpt/
An additional remark at the end of a letter, after the signature.
Commonly abbreviated as P.S. It is used for thoughts that occurred after the main body was finished.
The story behind the word. Literally 'written after'. In the days of ink and paper, you couldn't easily insert a forgotten thought into the middle of a page, so you wrote it at the bottom.
Word relationships
- afterthought: An afterthought is the mental process; a postscript is the written result.
- addendum: An addendum is usually for formal documents or books; a postscript is for letters.
- preface: A preface comes at the beginning; a postscript comes at the end.
Commonly confused with
- prologue: A prologue is an introduction to a story; a postscript is an extra note at the end.
Collocations
- add a postscript
- brief postscript
- hasty postscript
Example sentences
- "He finished the letter but added a postscript to remind her to bring the keys." Personal Correspondence
- "The author included a brief postscript in the new edition to thank his readers." Literature
Memory hook
P.S. = Post Script = Post (After) Script (Writing). The 'after' writing.
When not to use
In formal emails, postscripts are becoming less common; it's often better to just edit the main text.
Fun facts
- Some people use 'P.P.S.' for a 'post-postscript', meaning a second addition.
Explore more words
supplement, supplementary, encore, commentary, postproduction, posthumous
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