annotate
9 synonyms for annotate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To add notes to a text, diagram or image that explain, comment on or draw attention to parts of it.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
mark up
comment on
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
To add notes to a text, diagram or image that explain, comment on or draw attention to parts of it.
“Annotate the poem as you read, marking any image that repeats.”
How to use annotate
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
annotate a text
heavily annotated
annotate the margins
annotate images
Neutral; standard in education, publishing and software.
Etymology
From Latin annotare, from ad- 'to' and nota 'mark, note'.
Full origin of annotate →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between annotating and highlighting?
Highlighting only marks which words matter, whereas annotating adds your own words: a question, a summary, a link to another passage. Highlighting shows where you looked; annotation shows what you thought.
How do you annotate a text properly?
Read with a purpose, then mark the passages that answer it and write a short note explaining why each one matters. Use consistent symbols for recurring things such as questions, key claims and unfamiliar terms, and keep notes short enough to be readable later.
What is the difference between annotate and footnote?
To annotate is the act of adding notes; a footnote is one particular format for presenting a note, printed at the bottom of the page. You can annotate a text in the margins, between lines or in a separate document without any footnotes at all.
