annotation

noun

an·​no·​ta·​tion ˌa-nə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: a note added by way of comment or explanation

The bibliography was provided with helpful annotations.

2

: the act of annotating something

Examples of annotation in a Sentence

Without the annotations, the diagram would be hard to understand.

the author's annotation of the diagram

Recent Examples on the Web

The platform supports direct text and image editing within PDFs, along with annotation tools for collaboration and review. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026

And the data annotation industry has boomed in recent years, with dozens of platforms hiring contractors to help train AI models online. —Angela Yang, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026

Meta has also been in contact with Sama, a company that provides AI data annotation services. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026

Here’s a look at the Panthers’ 2026 grades, with some annotation where appropriate. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see annotate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for annotation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

annotation

noun

an·​no·​ta·​tion ˌan-ə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the act of annotating

2

: a note added as a comment or explanation

Legal Definition

annotation

noun

an·​no·​ta·​tion ˌa-nə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: a note added (as to a statute) by way of comment or explanation often furnishing summaries of relevant court decisions

2

capitalized : an informational and descriptive note or essay (as about a case or legal issue) especially in American Law Reports