footage

American  

[foot-ij] / ˈfʊt ɪdʒ /

noun

1. length or extent in feet.

   the footage of lumber.

2. a portion of raw video recorded for subsequent editing and use in one or more video clips or packages, broadcasts, or movies: raw footage that ended up on the cutting room floor.

   newsreel footage;

   raw footage that ended up on the cutting room floor.

3. Mining.

   1. payment by the running foot of work done.

   2. the amount so paid.

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footage British  

/ ˈfʊtɪdʒ /

noun

1. a length or distance measured in feet

2. 1. the extent of film material shot and exposed

   2. the sequences of filmed material

3. 1. payment, by the linear foot of work done

   2. the amount paid

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Other Word Forms

• underfootage noun

Etymology

Origin of footage

First recorded in 1890–95; foot + -age

Explanation

Footage is a section of film or video that's been shot or recorded. A TV news station might play dramatic footage of a tornado's aftermath. A film clip or a scene from a movie in production are both footage. Part of a film editor's job is combining all the best footage into a longer piece. Another kind of footage is a way to measure space — when you're selling a house, you'll need to advertise its size, or square footage. The film meaning dates from 1916, from foot as a unit of measurement, in this case of a length of film.

Example Sentences

With countless awards to his name, he leaves a legacy of photos and footage that will see him remembered as one of the pioneers of wildlife filmmaking.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

That context starts with archival footage of French-colonized Algeria in the 1930s, the visuals speaking to both a humming aura of activity and the reality of who’s indigenous and who’s not.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The White House's X account has meanwhile posted its own war-themed content -- combining battlefield footage with clips from films such as "Iron Man," "Gladiator" and "Top Gun."

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Corrections & Amplifications The video footage of Nantucket homes in this article was taken in 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

I replay the flight footage over and over again.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• cinema
• flick
• motion picture
• picture
• show