closed caption

American  

[klohzd kap-shuhn] / ˈkloʊzd ˈkæp ʃən /

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: closed captions can be enabled or disabled and are visible only when turned on: CC

   The bartender at the airport restaurant had turned on the closed captions, and a few people were watching a sitcom and laughing.

---

Other Word Forms

• closed captioner
  noun
• closed captioning
  noun
• closed-caption
  verb (used with object)
• closed-captioned
  adjective
• closed-captioning
  noun

Etymology

Origin of closed caption

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

The choice is now yours: the closed caption toggle is now available for everyone on iOS and Android!

From The Verge • Jun. 23, 2022

The first episode includes a scene where Harrow issues a command in what the closed caption describes as ancient Egyptian.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2022

We learned a lot about usage rights and rival closed caption formats — we ran into some real Decoder pain points.

From The Verge • Nov. 4, 2021

Films have closed caption option and meet FCC broadcast standards with rating not exceeding rated-R.

From Washington Times • Dec. 5, 2020

I watch TV with both the sound and the closed caption on.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2017