footnote

1 of 2

noun

foot·​note ˈfu̇t-ˌnōt How to pronounce footnote (audio)
Synonyms of footnotenext
1
: a note of reference, explanation, or comment usually placed below the text on a printed page
2
a
: one that is a relatively subordinate or minor part (as of an event, work, or field)
a movement now regarded as a footnote to architectural history

footnote

2 of 2

verb

footnoted; footnoting; footnotes

transitive verb

: to furnish with a footnote : annotate

Examples of footnote in a Sentence

Noun a movement now regarded as a footnote to history
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Skenes’ success was met with industry-wide assumption that Pittsburgh would eventually be just a mere footnote in his Hall-of-Fame plaque. Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 4 May 2026 So why do Fanny still feel like a footnote in rock history? Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 3 May 2026
Verb
Investors can scrutinize revenue by segment, depreciation schedules, pension liabilities, and footnotes about operating leases. Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2026 The pull toward explanation, footnotes, forcing a journalistic clarity in a literary piece that engages the politics that frame it. Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for footnote

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of footnote was in 1711

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Footnote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footnote. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

footnote

noun
foot·​note
-ˌnōt
: a note of reference, explanation, or comment usually placed below the text on a printed page
footnote verb

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