footnote

UK: /ˈfʊtnəʊt/ US: /ˈfʊtˌnoʊt/ ,(fŏŏt′nōt′)

Inflections of 'footnote' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

footnotes

v 3rd person singular

footnoting

v pres p

footnoted

v past

footnoted

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

foot•note /ˈfʊtˌnoʊt/  n. [countable]

1. an explanatory note or reference at the bottom of a page.
2. a minor comment or event added to a main statement or more important event.

See -nota-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

foot•note  (fŏŏt′nōt′), n., v., -not•ed, -not•ing. 
n. 

1. an explanatory or documenting note or comment at the bottom of a page, referring to a specific part of the text on the page.
2. a minor or tangential comment or event added or subordinated to a main statement or more important event.

v.t. 

3. to add a footnote or footnotes to (a text, statement, etc.);
   annotate:
   to footnote a dissertation.

• foot + note 1835–45

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

footnote / ˈfʊtˌnəʊt/ noun

1. a note printed at the bottom of a page, to which attention is drawn by means of a reference mark in the body of the text

verb

1. (transitive) to supply (a page, book, etc) with footnotes