caption

American  

[kap-shuhn] / ˈkæp ʃən /

noun

1. a title or explanation for a picture or illustration, as in a magazine, newspaper, or book.

2. a heading or title, as of a chapter, article, or page.

3. Movies, Television, Digital Technology.

   1. a transcription or translation of dialogue and a written description of other audio elements, as sound effects, music, or atmospheric sounds, displayed as a graphic overlay on the lower part of the screen in a television program, film, video, or video game.

   2. subtitle.

   3. a title or annotation displayed as a graphic overlay on the screen in a television program, film, video, or video game, as to set the scene, name a location, or specify a time or date.

4. Law. the heading of a legal document stating the time, place, etc., of execution or performance.

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verb (used with object)

1. to supply a caption or captions for.

   to caption a photograph.

caption British  

/ ˈkæpʃən /

noun

1. a title, brief explanation, or comment accompanying an illustration; legend

2. a heading, title, or headline of a chapter, article, etc

3. graphic material, usually containing lettering, used in television presentation

4. another name for subtitle

5. the formal heading of a legal document stating when, where, and on what authority it was taken or made

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verb

1. to provide with a caption or captions

Other Word Forms

• captionless adjective
• miscaption verb (used with object)
• subcaption noun
• supercaption noun
• uncaptioned adjective

Etymology

Origin of caption

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English capcio(u)n “seizure,” from Latin captiōn- (stem of captiō ), equivalent to capt(us) “taken” ( captive ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Kenyan and Ghanaian social media accounts re-uploaded clips, some including explicit captions in local languages in an apparent effort to drive traffic to their profiles.

From BBC

One depicted a Louis Vuitton bag with the caption: “I’ve never seen a cheater lose so why would I play fair?”

From Los Angeles Times

Woods' Jupiter Links Golf Club X account posted a photo of the 15-time major winner, accompanied with the caption: "I'm back."

From BBC

“Happy birthday to me,” Biles captioned the snap, before joking: “Never had a pair, I lowkey thought my little feet were too fat.”

From MarketWatch

He took inspiration from Thomas for the caption, with "green and golden" also featured in the poem to describe the speaker's happiness at being surrounded by nature.

From BBC

Related Words

• inscription
• subtitle