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Synonyms

annotate

American  
[an-uh-teyt] / ˈæn əˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

annotated, annotating
  1. to supply with critical or explanatory notes; comment upon in notes.

    to annotate the works of Shakespeare.


verb (used without object)

annotated, annotating
  1. to make annotations or notes.

annotate British  
/ ˈænəʊˌteɪt, ˈænə- /

verb

  1. to supply (a written work, such as an ancient text) with critical or explanatory notes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does annotate mean? To annotate is to add notes or comments to a text or something similar to provide explanation or criticism about a particular part of it.Such notes or comments are called annotations. Annotation can also refer to the act of annotating.Annotations are often added to scholarly articles or to literary works that are being analyzed. But any text can be annotated. 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 with the adjective annotated, as in This is the annotated edition of the book. Example: I like to annotate the books I’m reading by writing my thoughts in the margins.

Other Word Forms

  • annotatable adjective
  • annotative adjective
  • annotator noun
  • annotatory adjective
  • overannotate verb
  • reannotate verb

Etymology

Origin of annotate

First recorded in 1725–35; from Latin annotātus “marked down,” past participle of annotāre “to mark down,” from an- an- 2 + notāre “to mark” ( note )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These indicators of past glacial activity, along with Coloe Fossae and the surrounding craters, are visible in the annotated images.

From Science Daily

"Manually annotating over 23,000 calls by hand is no small feat, and I have a team of interns to thank for helping with the analysis!" shares Parnell.

From Science Daily

There are posters, annotated scripts, costumes, production materials and newspaper clippings from these projects.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their boss, Objectways founder Ravi Shankar, says that in recent months, his firm has captured and annotated footage of robotic arms folding cardboard boxes and T-shirts and picking out certain colored objects on a table.

From Los Angeles Times

Only one of the Nepalis, worker number 1725, was annotated: “missing.”

From The Wall Street Journal