annotate

1 of 2

verb

an·​no·​tate ˈa-nə-ˌtāt How to pronounce annotate (audio)
annotated; annotating
Synonyms of annotate

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 How to pronounce annotate (audio)
adjective
annotator
ˈa-nə-ˌtā-tər How to pronounce annotate (audio)
noun

annotator

2 of 2

noun

an·​no·​ta·​tor
variants or less commonly annotater
ˈa-nə-ˌtā-tər How to pronounce annotator (audio)
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
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.
Verb
The two identical charts annotate the setup in different ways. — Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 26 June 2026 Videos of manufacturing procedures can be recorded, annotated and archived by AI. — Sk Gupta, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Who better to annotate that life than the actors, directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers who helped bring his movies to the screen since the late 1960s? — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 June 2026 Unusually for a remote bush lodge, the tech is pretty sophisticated, from air conditioning and good Wi-Fi to clearly annotated light switches. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for annotate

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of annotate was in 1646

Rhymes for annotate

See All Rhymes for annotate

Browse Nearby Words

Annonaceae
annotate
annotated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Annotate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annotate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

annotate

verb
an·​no·​tate ˈan-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce annotate (audio)
annotated; annotating
: to make or add explanatory notes
annotator
-ˌtāt-ər How to pronounce annotate (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

annotate

verb
an·​no·​tate ˈa-nə-ˌtāt How to pronounce annotate (audio)
annotated; annotating

intransitive verb

: to make or write an annotation

transitive verb

: to make or write annotations for
annotator
-ˌtā-tər How to pronounce annotate (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on annotate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for annotate

Nglish: Translation of annotate for Spanish Speakers

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