annotate

[ an-uh-teyt ]

verb (used with object)

, an·no·tat·ed, an·no·tat·ing.

1. to supply with critical or explanatory notes; comment upon in notes:

   to annotate the works of Shakespeare.

verb (used without object)

, an·no·tat·ed, an·no·tat·ing.

1. to make annotations or notes.

annotate

/ ˈænəʊˌteɪt; ˈænə- /

verb

1. to supply (a written work, such as an ancient text) with critical or explanatory notes

Derived Forms

• ˈannoˌtatable, adjective
• ˈannoˌtator, noun
• ˈannoˌtative, adjective

Other Words From

• anno·tative an·no·ta·to·ry [an, -, uh, -tey-t, uh, -ree, -t, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, uh, -, noh, -t, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], adjective
• anno·tator noun
• over·anno·tate verb overannotated overannotating
• re·anno·tate verb reannotated reannotating

Word History and Origins

Origin of annotate¹

First recorded in 1725–35; from Latin annotātus “marked down,” past participle of annotāre “to mark down,” from an- an- ² + notāre “to mark” ( note )

Word History and Origins

Origin of annotate¹

C18: from Latin annotāre, from nota mark

Example Sentences

Items include his glasses, the piano he practised on, a painting of the star by royal portrait artist Richard Stone, annotated joke books and piles of sketch ideas.

From BBC

All these years later, the books on my nightstand are highlighted, annotated and dog-eared.

From Los Angeles Times

You share this archiving instinct with your sister, who meticulously annotates everything she does.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s more like figuring out what word equals a mathematical symbol,” Fallon said, explaining that she often asks her students to annotate word problems to derive meaning.

From Los Angeles Times

Crucially, notes about her health were annotated on a piece of paper which meant her deterioration was not escalated promptly.

From BBC

More About Annotate

What does annotate mean?

To annotate is to add notes or comments to a text or something similar to provide explanation or criticism about a particular part of it.

Such notes or comments are called annotations. Annotation can also refer to the act of annotating.

Annotations are often added to scholarly articles or to literary works that are being analyzed. But any text can be annotated. For example, a note that you scribble in the margin of your textbook is an annotation, as is an explanatory comment that you add to a list of tasks at work.

Something that has had such notes added to it can be described with the adjective annotated, as in This is the annotated edition of the book. 

Example: I like to annotate the books I’m reading by writing my thoughts in the margins.

Where does annotate come from?

The first records of the word annotate come from the 1700s. (Annotation is recorded much earlier, in the 1400s.) Annotate derives from the Latin annotātus, which means “noted down” and comes from the Latin verb annotāre. At the root of the word is the Latin nota, which means “mark” and is also the basis of the English word note.

Typically, text is annotated in order to add explanation, criticism, analysis, or historical perspective. The word can be used in more specific ways in different contexts. In an annotated bibliography, each citation is annotated with a summary or other information. In computer programming, strings of code can be annotated with explanatory notes. In genomics, gene sequences can be annotated with interpretations of genes and their possible functions. In all cases, the word refers to adding some kind of extra information to an existing thing.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to annotate?

• annotation (noun)
• annotated (past tense verb, adjective)
• annotative (adjective)
• annotatory (adjective)
• annotator (noun)
• reannotate (verb)

What are some synonyms for annotate?

• notate
• gloss

What are some words that share a root or word element with annotate? 

 

• note
• notary
• notation

What are some words that often get used in discussing annotate?

• comment
• note
• text
• footnote
• endnote
• margin
• explanation
• criticism
• context

How is annotate used in real life?

Annotate is most commonly used in the context of academic and literary works.

every time i annotate a book i think about how beautiful the reading experience will be for the next person but nobody ever borrows books from me so 😔 https://t.co/Uktg1BLIUo

— mahnoor (@mahnewr_) July 26, 2020

When I read books, I analyze them completely. I annotate, I take notes—I try to communicate with the author. Doing this has shown dramatic improvement in retaining the information I read from the books. I also listen to ASMR ambiences, whether a crackling fireplace or a library. pic.twitter.com/Y4s69lHESb

— Brice van der Post (@bricevdp) July 26, 2020

Human workers are needed to prepare data for #AI, annotate the datasets used to train AI models, monitor the performance of these models — and correct inaccurate predictions. Namrata Yadav examines. https://t.co/IXieNmjfkD

— ORF (@orfonline) July 30, 2020

 

 

Try using annotate!

Which of the following things can be annotated?

A. a classic novel
B. a scholarly article
C. a grocery list
D. all of the above