The act of adding footnotes to a text; marking or supplementing with explanatory notes at the bottom of pages.
From footnote + ing (present participle). As academic writing became more rigorous, footnoting evolved into a formal system with specific rules and conventions.
Some academic writers love footnoting so much that their footnotes are longer than the main text—it's like the author is having a secret conversation with other scholars while you're trying to read the actual book, which can be delightfully frustrating or brilliantly scholarly depending on who you ask.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.