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

Pioneer Girl was ultimately published in 2014 with annotations. —Victoria Edel, People.com, 2 Aug. 2025

Unlike the guitar, which is written in its own language of chords, or the piano, which typically involves reading and playing multiple lines of musical annotation at once, the recorder only requires you to read and play one line at a time. —Abigail Covington, NPR, 16 July 2025

This requires specialized training programs that equip them with the necessary expertise and skills to handle complex annotation challenges. —Siobhan Hanna, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025

Employ semi-supervised and active learning to flag ambiguous cases—slang, sarcasm, subtext—for expert annotation. —Dr. Chiranjiv Roy, Forbes.com, 25 July 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