What does jotting mean?
A jotting is a short, quickly written note, often containing a thought, reminder, name, number, or fragment of information that the writer does not want to forget. The word is usually plural in this sense: people speak of making a few jottings, leaving jottings on a page, or using an envelope as a place for quick jottings. It can also refer to the activity of recording something briefly, as when someone keeps a notebook for jottings during a meeting. As a form of the verb “jot,” it describes writing briefly and without prolonged consideration. The word is useful for emphasizing speed and informality rather than polished composition. A jotting may eventually become a letter, reminder, or record, but its immediate purpose is usually to capture something quickly before it is forgotten or more carefully recorded elsewhere.
A brief note or reminder written down quickly, or the act of making such a note.
"His notebook was full of telephone numbers and hurried jottings."
The noun is normally used in the plural form “jottings.”
Writing down a thought, name, number, or reminder briefly and quickly.
"She sat near the back, jotting down the main points of the lecture."
This is the present participle and gerund form of “jot,” and it is not normally used as the finite past-tense form.
The plural “jottings” is the usual form when the noun refers to several brief notes; the singular “a jotting” is possible but less common.
"He made a few jottings while the meeting was in progress."
A jotting is a thought caught in shorthand before it has time to disappear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jotting come from?
The word belongs to the modern English family formed around “jot,” meaning “to write down briefly.” “Jotting” is both the present participle and gerund of that verb and has also developed into a noun for a brief note. The deeper origin of “jot” is uncertain, so it cannot confidently be assigned to a particular older language or identified with a definite cognate.
Related word forms
How jotting is actually used
When used as a noun, “jotting” is normally plural, as in “a few jottings.” It can also function as the present participle or gerund of “jot,” meaning writing something down briefly.
Easily confused with jotting
Jotting means writing a brief note, whereas jutting means projecting or extending outward.