footnote
gb/fˈʊtnˌoʊt/ us/fˈʊtnˌoʊt/
B1
English
~ 4500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Note at page bottom
A short piece of writing at the bottom of a page that gives more information about something in the main text.
Usage pattern:
[something] in a footnote
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'footnote' with 'headline' or 'caption', but a footnote is always at the bottom of the page and relates to part of the main text.
Synonyms
endnote (Similar in function but placed at the end of a chapter or document rather than at the bottom of a page.)
Collocations
cite in a footnote
|see footnote
|add a footnote
|refer to footnote
Themes
publishing
|writing
|academia
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The author explained the historical context in a footnote.
- Please see footnote 3 for the source of this quote.
- She added a footnote to clarify the term's meaning.
- The report contains detailed data in the footnotes.
- He cited the original study in a footnote.
Learner examples
- The word is explained in a footnote.
- Look at the footnote for more details.
- She wrote a footnote about the date.
- This page has three footnotes.
- The answer is in the footnote.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Minor detail or afterthought
A small or unimportant part of a bigger story or event.
Usage pattern:
[something] is a footnote to [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may take this meaning literally and think it always refers to printed notes, but here it is figurative for something minor.
Synonyms
afterthought (Emphasizes something considered only after the main points are made.)
Antonyms
highlight (Refers to something important and attention-worthy, opposite of a minor detail.)
Collocations
mere footnote
|small footnote
|footnote to history
Themes
history
|journalism
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Compared to the main battle, this skirmish was just a footnote in history.
- Her role in the project became a mere footnote after she left early.
- The scandal is now only a footnote in his long career.
- This discovery is no longer central; it's a footnote to modern science.
Learner examples
- This event is a small footnote in history.
- His name is now just a footnote in sports news.
- The meeting was only a footnote in my day.
- That story is a footnote to the big news.
Grammar
Dictionary form
footnote
IPA
GB/fˈʊtnˌoʊt/
US/fˈʊtnˌoʊt/
Syllables & stress
foot - note (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (foot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: footnote
- Plural: footnotes
Word family
Forms
footnotes
noun
Related words
Expressions
a footnote to history
1/ə fˈʊtnˌoʊt tə hˈɪstɚi/
fixed phrase
Small historical detail
Something that happened in the past but is not very important compared to other events.
Examples
- The treaty was little more than a footnote to history.
- Many local battles are now just footnotes to history.