open caption

[ oh-puhn kap-shuhn ]

noun

, Movies, Television, Digital Technology.

1. a transcription or translation of dialogue, together with a written description of other audio elements, as sound effects, music, or atmospheric sounds, time-synchronized with a television program, film, or video, and displayed as a text overlay, usually on the lower part of the screen: open captions are embedded in the source video and cannot be turned on and off: Compare closed caption ( def ).

   People who see your video on social media are probably watching with the sound turned down, so it’s a good idea to add open captions.

Other Words From

• o·pen-cap·tion verb (used with object)
• o·pen-cap·tioned adjective
• o·pen cap·tion·ing o·pen-cap·tion·ing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of open caption¹

First recorded in 1975–80