annotation
n.n. a short note or comment added to a text, image, or piece of code. It helps explain a specific part or gives more information about it.
n. a critical or explanatory note added to a text, diagram, or data set. In technical contexts, it refers to metadata added to a document or image to provide context for human readers or machine learning algorithms.
I added a small annotation to the margin of the book.
The developer included a detailed annotation in the source code to explain why the specific algorithm was chosen.
Scholarly editions of classic literature often feature extensive annotations that clarify archaic references and provide historical context for the modern reader.
From Latin annotātiōnem, accusative singular of annotātiō (“remark, annotation”), from annotātus, perfect passive participle of annotō (“note down, remark”). Equivalent to annotate + -ion.
Countable when referring to the individual note; uncountable when referring to the process of adding notes.