annotate

1 of 2

verb

an·​no·​tate ˈa-nə-ˌtāt 

annotated; annotating

intransitive verb

: to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment

transitive verb

: to make or furnish annotations (see annotation sense 1) for (something, such as a literary work or subject)

annotated his translation of Dante's Divine Comedy

annotative

ˈa-nə-ˌtā-tiv 

adjective

annotator

ˈa-nə-ˌtā-tər 

noun

annotator

2 of 2

noun

an·​no·​ta·​tor

variants or less commonly annotater

ˈa-nə-ˌtā-tər 

plural -s

: one that makes annotations

Examples of annotate in a Sentence

Verb

He annotated the text at several places.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The way a book has been handled, underlined, and annotated, as well as the creases in the corners of pages, are reminders of this dispute and of the reader’s assertion of ownership that will remain forever on their bookshelves. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

And like all Criterion releases, The Complete Kubrick features a host of behind-the-scenes materials, including over twenty-five hours of interviews, rare photographs, artwork, and documents annotated by Kubrick. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026

Much of that work involves collecting, annotating, and validating the data used to train machines to operate in the physical world. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026

Its specialized hardware-level matte finish diffuses ambient reflections and drastically filters blue light, delivering a true paper-like texture for reading e-books and annotating documents without visual fatigue. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin annotatus, past participle of annotare, from ad- + notare to mark — more at note

Noun

Latin annotator, from annotatus + -or

First Known Use

Verb

1693, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1646, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for annotate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

annotate

verb

an·​no·​tate ˈan-ə-ˌtāt 

annotated; annotating

: to make or add explanatory notes

annotator

-ˌtāt-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

annotate

verb

an·​no·​tate ˈa-nə-ˌtāt 

annotated; annotating

intransitive verb

: to make or write an annotation

transitive verb

: to make or write annotations for

annotator

-ˌtā-tər 

noun