footage
Americannoun
-
length or extent in feet.
the footage of lumber.
-
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.
-
Mining.
-
payment by the running foot of work done.
-
the amount so paid.
-
noun
-
a length or distance measured in feet
-
-
the extent of film material shot and exposed
-
the sequences of filmed material
-
-
-
payment, by the linear foot of work done
-
the amount paid
-
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of footage
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.
Vocabulary lists containing footage
Lessons 2–3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lessons 4–5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Lessons 1–2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Officers intervened on the A55 on Anglesey on Monday evening and temporarily closed the road, with footage on social media appearing to show a taxi being pulled over by police vehicles.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
"You see it move its eye," says the University of California, Irvine associate professor of physiology and biophysics, pointing to the footage.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
It also does not appear to have dawned on them that they are high-profile individuals, likely to attract attention, with footage finding its way to social media, as happened with Carse.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
It’s set in Los Angeles but the cafés and shops are obviously not local and the worst, most dated stock L.A. traffic footage can’t cover that up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
They show cell-phone footage from this morning of every body in front of the building, chanting, "'You can’t stop me, nope, nope!'"
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.