Definition

1. Verb:
   • To add explanatory notes or comments to a text or diagram: The primary meaning involves providing additional information, explanations, or critical commentary to clarify the original material.
   • To provide interlinear or marginal explanations for words or phrases: A specific scholarly application where notes are inserted between lines or in the margins of a text to explain its content.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The professor asked the students to annotate the difficult poem.
  • She meticulously annotated the historical document, highlighting key events.
  • Researchers often annotate datasets to make them usable for machine learning.

Advanced Usage

• "to annotate a text": The standard construction for adding notes to any written work.
  • The editor's job was to annotate the manuscript before publication.
• "heavily annotated": Describes a text with many notes.
  • The library's copy of the book was heavily annotated by a previous scholar.

Variants and Related Words

• Annotation (n): The note or comment itself, or the act of adding notes.
  • The annotations in the margin were very helpful.
• Annotator (n): A person who annotates.
  • The annotator of this edition is a renowned historian.

Synonyms

• Gloss: To provide explanations for difficult words or passages.
• Comment on: To write explanatory notes about.
• Elucidate: To make clear or explain (often used for the purpose of annotation).

Related Phrases

• Annotated edition: A published version of a text that includes explanatory notes from an editor or scholar.
  • I bought the annotated edition of Shakespeare's sonnets.

Verb

1. provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases
   • He annotated on what his teacher had written
2. add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments
   • The scholar annotated the early edition of a famous novel