What does asterisking mean?
Asterisking is the practice of marking a word, phrase, or passage with an asterisk — the small star-shaped symbol (*) — usually to direct readers to a footnote, indicate an omission, flag a correction, or signal some qualification of what is stated. The term functions primarily as the gerund or present participle of the verb 'to asterisk', making it most at home in editorial, academic, legal, and technical writing, where precision about what has been annotated matters. A writer might be described as asterisking certain figures in a table to note that they are estimates, or asterisking names in a list to mark those who declined to participate. Though modest in scope, the word captures a real and widespread convention: the asterisk is among the most familiar typographical devices in English, and asterisking names the deliberate editorial act behind it. Its connotations are neutral and professional rather than emotive.
The action or practice of marking text with an asterisk, typically to indicate a footnote, omission, or qualification.
"Her careful asterisking of the contested statistics made the report easy to fact-check."
Usually encountered as a gerund; rare as a standalone countable noun.
Present participle of the verb 'asterisk': to place an asterisk beside or above a word or passage.
"The proofreader was asterisking every entry that required verification against the original source."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of asterisking
Asterisking derives from the verb 'asterisk', which comes from the Latin asteriscus, itself borrowed from the Greek asteriskos, a diminutive of aster meaning 'star'. The Greek term literally means 'little star', describing the symbol's shape. The word entered English in the early modern period, and the derived verb form gave rise to the gerund 'asterisking'. It shares its ultimate root with words such as 'asteroid' and 'disaster' (literally 'bad star'), all tracing back to the Greek astron, meaning 'star'.
Related word forms
How asterisking is actually used
Asterisking is chiefly used as a gerund or present participle of the verb 'asterisk'; as a standalone noun it appears mostly in editorial, academic, and technical writing. It is neutral in register but somewhat formal and relatively rare outside publishing contexts.
Easily confused with asterisking
An asterisk is the star-shaped symbol itself, while asterisking is the act or practice of applying that symbol to text.