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

Three former town employees are suing Mooresville officials, alleging retaliation for their efforts to preserve the footage or investigate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Drainage technician Gareth had not planned to post footage on social media, but he was so thrilled by a 20-minute ride around their local woodland and mountain, he filmed it.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

However, Kuwait and other Gulf Arab states have said they have detained hundreds of people for sharing footage documenting Iranian attacks on their territory during the war.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Weyerhaeuser trained an AI model to pore over drone footage and calculate seedling survival rates, which are typically obtained by sending foresters to count twiggy young trees in rugged or sweltering terrain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Yesterday, Owen, Leo, and I cut together a bunch of news footage about the fire and some clips we found of coyotes in the wild, but it’s not selling the idea of saving my girl.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Related Words

• cinema
• flick
• motion picture
• picture
• show