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

Satellite imagery and annotations published by the Institute for Science and International Security in April 2025, showing the Natanz nuclear enrichment site and construction to the south of the main complex. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025

Teams offers all the standard features available in other messaging and meeting products: annotations, a car mode, collaborative whiteboards, and screen sharing. —PC Magazine, 17 June 2025

Employees can quickly scan the annotations and decide if the data sources are trustworthy and make sense. —Larry English, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

The ePaper tablet has support for stylus input for scribbles, annotations and doodles using a range of Smart Scribe input tools. —New Atlas, 29 Apr. 2025

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