headline
Americannoun
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a heading in a newspaper for any written material, sometimes for an illustration, to indicate subject matter, set in larger type than that of the copy and containing one or more words and lines and often several banks.
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the largest such heading on the front page, usually at the top.
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the line at the top of a page, containing the title, pagination, etc.
verb (used with object)
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to furnish with a headline.
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to mention or name in a headline.
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to publicize, feature, or star (a specific performer, product, etc.).
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to be the star of (a show, nightclub act, etc.)
verb (used without object)
noun
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Also called: head. heading.
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a phrase at the top of a newspaper or magazine article indicating the subject of the article, usually in larger and heavier type
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a line at the top of a page indicating the title, page number, etc
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(usually plural) the main points of a television or radio news broadcast, read out before the full broadcast and summarized at the end
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to become prominent in the news
verb
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(tr) to furnish (a story or page) with a headline
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to have top billing (in)
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of headline
Explanation
A headline is the title of a newspaper story. You'll know the headline, because it's printed in the largest font on the front of the paper. Printed newspapers have headlines, and online journals, magazines, and newspapers also use headlines. A headline is the title of a story in the paper, and it's usually easy to spot by its large, bold letters. Sometimes television and radio news also use the word headline to mean the biggest, most important news stories of the day. The word was originally a printer's term for the title and page number, and by 1890 it meant "newspaper title."
Vocabulary lists containing headline
Journalism
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Journalism Jargon
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Unit 6, Week 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Headline act Richard Ashcroft is due to finish by 22:15, instead of the typical curfew of about 23:00.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
Headline annual inflation rose to 4.2% in May as expected but markets focused on core inflation easing more than forecast on a month-on-month basis to 0.2%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Headline PCE had already been getting hotter, rising to 3.5% year on year in March 2026, up from 2.8% in February.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
Headline inflation rose 2.6% from a year earlier in April, the fastest pace since July 2024, underscoring the deepening effects of Middle East tensions and higher oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
When it was his turn, Don dutifully rose to the challenge by successfully mouthing the scripted words, “This is Don Billings-ley. Headline news next. . .”
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
