caption
Americannoun
-
a title or explanation for a picture or illustration, as in a magazine, newspaper, or book.
-
a heading or title, as of a chapter, article, or page.
-
Movies, Television, Digital Technology.
-
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.
-
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.
-
-
Law. the heading of a legal document stating the time, place, etc., of execution or performance.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a title, brief explanation, or comment accompanying an illustration; legend
-
a heading, title, or headline of a chapter, article, etc
-
graphic material, usually containing lettering, used in television presentation
-
another name for subtitle
-
the formal heading of a legal document stating when, where, and on what authority it was taken or made
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
captionsimple
-
captionssimple
-
have captionedperfect
-
has captionedperfect
-
am captioningprogressive
-
are captioningprogressive
-
is captioningprogressive
-
have been captioningperfect progressive
-
has been captioningperfect progressive
Past
-
captionedsimple
-
had captionedperfect
-
was captioningprogressive
-
were captioningprogressive
-
had been captioningperfect progressive
Future
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” ( see captive) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A caption is a brief description accompanying an illustration. You know the online photo of your baby cousin face-planting into a cake? The description underneath it that says "Hugh's First Birthday" — that's the caption. The Latin root of caption is capito, which means "seizing" or "holding." What do captions have to do with seizing? Nothing. Centuries ago, when authorities seized someone's property for legal reasons, they presented documents that began with the phrase "certificate of caption." Eventually people began using the word to refer to the beginning of any document. Then they began using it to mean any article or chapter heading. And from chapter headings it was a short hop to picture headings. A long journey for a word whose definition includes the description "brief"!
Vocabulary lists containing caption
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
STAAR Grade 7 Reading: Informational Text
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
T-Pain said in his Instagram caption: “Thanks for sharing your art and for always being different in the best way possible. See you on the brighter side.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
On Instagram, Gillette posted a picture of its stadium logo covered in what looks like a mound of shaving foam with the caption, “At least we got to choose how we cover it.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2026
“Who knew dip-lomacy could be achieved through addressing the obvious: ranch is the king of condiments,” TSA wrote in the caption accompanying its carousel of humorous ranch-related quips.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
But Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, said: "This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America's birthday," in a caption to a video post on his Instagram account.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Annie would simply write a caption on the back.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
