ps

ps — noun

1. The letters 'P.S.' that introduce a short afterthought written beneath the main

1.nounB1
Definition

The letters 'P.S.' that introduce a short afterthought written beneath the main content of a message, after the signature or closing line.

Example

Aylin added a short P.S. to her email to remind her boss about the deadline.

P.S. for brief reminder at end of email

After signing the letter, Arjun wrote 'P.S. — Please bring dessert!' below his name.

Common collocations
  • add a P.S.
  • write a P.S.
  • P.S. at the end
  • P.S. to a letter
Synonyms
  • afterthought

    refers to the thing added rather than the notation itself; less common in writing

  • postscript

    the full word that 'P.S.' stands for; more formal than using the abbreviation

  • addition

    a general term; lacks the specific letter-writing convention

Usage Note

P.S. is almost always written in capital letters with periods, though informal writing sometimes uses 'ps' without capitals.

Common Mistakes

I wrote PS at the end of my email to add more information.
I wrote P.S. at the end of my email to add more information.
The correct written form uses periods and a capital P and S.

ps — abbreviation

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

The noun sense of 'P.S.' (or 'ps') refers specifically to a conventional notation placed after a letter's signature. 'Postscript' is the full English word that the abbreviation represents; it sounds more formal and is more common in book footnotes than in personal correspondence. 'Afterthought' describes an idea that occurs to someone later, but it does not carry the specific letter-writing convention and can apply to any delayed thought. 'Addition' is a broad, neutral term that lacks any connection to letters or post-signature placement. For example, you would say 'She added a postscript to the chapter' but 'His remark about the weather was a clear afterthought' — the two are not interchangeable.

postscriptafterthoughtaddition ↗

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The abbreviation 'P.S.' comes from the Latin phrase 'post scriptum', meaning 'written after'. The Latin 'post' means 'after' and 'scriptum' means 'something written'. English writers began using the shortened form in letters during the 16th century, and it eventually spread to emails and other digital messages.