annotation

American  

[an-uh-tey-shuhn] / ˌæn əˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• annotations
  plural

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

2. the act of annotating.

3. note. annot.

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annotation British  

/ ˌænə-, ˌænəʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of annotating

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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reannotation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• annotations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of annotation

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

Explanation

Annotations are simply notes or comments. If you have trouble understanding Shakespeare, you may want to buy a copy of "Hamlet" with annotations on each page that explain all the vocabulary words and major themes. The word annotation comes from the Latin root words ad, meaning "to," and notare, meaning "to note." The act of adding explanatory notes to something is also called annotation, as in "Your friends might be amused by your annotation of the text, but I don't think the professor will accept "No one knows and no one cares!" as a reason for why the protagonist acted the way he did."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

annotation annotations

More accurate identification of subgenomes could improve gene annotation, trait mapping, and comparative genomic studies.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

Innodata’s stock rose after Palantir Technologies selected it for training data and annotation capabilities, with financial terms undisclosed.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

Prior to the layoff, the xAI’s data annotation team was one of the largest, with 1,500 full-time and contract staff members, which included AI tutors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2025

It includes Nat Friedman, former boss of software development platform GitHub, Alexandr Wang of data annotation firm Scale AI and co-creators of OpenAI's models.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2025

Scrolling further down the screen, Charles came across a rather unusual annotation: “You didn’t really think we’d make it that easy, did you?”

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

When Elliott Mossman compiled and translated that correspondence in 1981, his annotations relied on Freidenberg’s recently discovered and voluminous diaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

Ace is a small but mighty UK label that specializes in reissues and vintage catalog material, prioritizing physical releases that feature thoughtful annotations and liner notes.

From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2026

The organization made that footage available online with time stamps and annotations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025

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

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2025

“You making your own annotations over there, kiddo?”

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• glossary