annotation

[an-uh-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. a critical or explanatory note or body of notes added to a text.

2. the act of annotating.

3. note. annot.

annotation

/ ˌænə-, ˌænəʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of annotating

2. a note added in explanation, etc, esp of some literary work

Other Word Forms

• reannotation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of annotation¹

First recorded in 1425–75, annotation is from the Latin word annotātiōn- (stem of annotātiō ). See annotate, -ion

Example Sentences

"Separate from the policies, there are hundreds of examples, notes, and annotations that reflect teams grappling with different hypothetical scenarios," they said.

From BBC

Some of the performers fans have travelled from other towns and cities to grab his old paperbacks, some of which contain annotations by Cave.

From BBC

They went on to discover two other novels on his bookshelf also featured annotations by his wife.

From BBC

A voracious reader, Walger lost, among other treasured items, her vast book collection, which contained everything from contemporary fiction and Romantic poetry to treasured childhood books with her annotations scrawled in the margins.

From Los Angeles Times

This highlighted the lack of ancestral diversity in a widely used annotation database.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• glossary 

When To Use

What does annotation mean?

An annotation is a note or comment added to a text to provide explanation or criticism about a particular part of it.Annotation can also refer to the act of annotating—adding annotations.Annotations are often added to scholarly articles or to literary works that are being analyzed. But the term can be used in a more general way to refer to a note added to any text. For example, a note that you scribble in the margin of your textbook is an annotation, as is an explanatory comment that you add to a list of tasks at work.Something that has had such notes added to it can be described as annotated.The word annotation is sometimes abbreviated as annot. (which can also mean annotated or annotator).Example: The annotations in this edition of the book really helped me to understand the historical context and the meanings of some obscure words.