footnote

American  

[foot-noht] / ˈfʊtˌnoʊt /

noun

1. an explanatory or documenting note or comment at the bottom of a page, referring to a specific part of the text on the page.

2. a minor or tangential comment or event added or subordinated to a main statement or more important event.

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verb (used with object)

footnoted, footnoting

1. to add a footnote or footnotes to (a text, statement, etc.); annotate.

   to footnote a dissertation.

footnote British  

/ ˈfʊtˌnəʊt /

noun

1. a note printed at the bottom of a page, to which attention is drawn by means of a reference mark in the body of the text

2. an additional comment, as to a main statement

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verb

1. (tr) to supply (a page, book, etc) with footnotes

Usage

What’s the difference between a footnote and an endnote? A footnote is a note at the bottom (the “foot”) of a page. An endnote is a note at the end of a text (such as an article, a chapter, or an entire book).The difference between footnotes and endnotes is their location, not their function. Both consist of information added to a text in another spot, such as an explanation or a citation of a source. They are both usually indicated with some kind of mark, often an asterisk* or a number¹. The same mark appears in another part of the text along with the corresponding note, either at the bottom of the page (making it a footnote) or at the end of the text (making it an endnote).Of course, if an article is only a single page, the note at the end could be called a footnote or an endnote.Here’s an example of footnote and endnote used correctly in the same sentence.Example: I use footnotes for tangential information so that readers can access it without turning the page, but I use endnotes for citations so they don’t clutter up the page.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between footnote and endnote.

Etymology

Origin of footnote

First recorded in 1835–45; foot + note

Compare meaning

How does footnote compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• footnote vs. endnote

Example Sentences

Played as a maudlin admission that she’s a fallen woman, this scene would doom the play to a dusty footnote in O’Neill’s oeuvre.

From The Wall Street Journal

Just as a footnote, in last week's column I asked you whether the Premier League is better now than 10 or 20 years ago.

From BBC

“No investigation may be opened based solely on activities protected by the First Amendment or the lawful exercise of rights secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States,” the footnote says.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms. Collinsworth provides few footnotes and no index, and at times veers close to the line between fiction and nonfiction.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Loomis includes a bibliography but no footnotes, leaving us guessing about his other sources.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• explanation
• reference