footnote

1 of 2

noun

foot·​note ˈfu̇t-ˌnōt How to pronounce footnote (audio)
1
: a note of reference, explanation, or comment usually placed below the text on a printed page
2
a
: one that is a relatively subordinate or minor part (as of an event, work, or field)
a movement now regarded as a footnote to architectural history

footnote

2 of 2

verb

footnoted; footnoting; footnotes

transitive verb

: to furnish with a footnote : annotate

Examples of footnote in a Sentence

Noun a movement now regarded as a footnote to history
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.
Noun
But Cuti realized his error in his Feb. 7 reply brief, in a footnote on page 3. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2025 Buried in a footnote of a nearly five-year-old regulatory letter, IL 1170, the national banking regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), opened the door for national banks to participate in the cryptocurrency marketplace. Gene A. Grant Ii, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
Rigorously footnoted, informed by interviews with fellow company members as well as industry figures, the book is shaped by Almond’s own memories as a cast member making his Broadway debut. Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 Its diametrical opposite might be the epigraph, the upfront citation, not relegated to footnote or endnote and often in italics — a phenomenon no one could fail to observe. Elisa Gabbert, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for footnote

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of footnote was in 1711

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Footnote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footnote. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

footnote

noun
foot·​note
-ˌnōt
: a note of reference, explanation, or comment usually placed below the text on a printed page
footnote verb

More from Merriam-Webster on footnote

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