chapter

American  

[chap-ter] / ˈtʃæp tər /

noun

chapters plural

1. a main division of a book, treatise, or the like, usually bearing a number or title.

2. a branch, usually restricted to a given locality, of a society, organization, fraternity, etc..

   the Connecticut chapter of the American Red Cross.

3. an important portion or division of anything.

   The atomic bomb opened a new chapter in history.

   Synonyms:

   phase, period, episode, era

4. Ecclesiastical.

   1. an assembly of the monks in a monastery, of those in a province, or of the entire order.

   2. a general assembly of the canons of a church.

   3. a meeting of the elected representatives of the provinces or houses of a religious community.

   4. the body of such canons or representatives collectively.

5. any general assembly.

6. Liturgy. a short scriptural quotation read at various parts of the office, as after the last psalm in the service of lauds, prime, tierce, etc.

7. Horology. any of the marks or numerals designating the hours on a dial.

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verb (used with object)

1. to divide into or arrange in chapters.

chapter British  

/ ˈtʃæptə /

noun

1. a division of a written work, esp a narrative, usually titled or numbered

2. a sequence of events having a common attribute

   a chapter of disasters

3. 1. a series of misfortunes

   2. the unforeseeable course of events

4. an episode or period in a life, history, etc

5. a numbered reference to that part of a Parliamentary session which relates to a specified Act of Parliament

6. a branch of some societies, clubs, etc, esp of a secret society

7. the collective body or a meeting of the canons of a cathedral or collegiate church or of the members of a monastic or knightly order

8. a general assembly of some organization

9. exact authority for an action or statement

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verb

1. (tr) to divide into chapters

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unchapter
  verb (used with object)
• chapteral
  adjective
• unchaptered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chapters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chapter

1175–1225; Middle English chapiter, variant of chapitre < Old French < Latin capitulum little head ( capit-, stem of caput head + -ulum -ule ); in Late Latin: section of a book; in Medieval Latin: section read at a meeting, hence, the meeting, especially one of canons, hence, a body of canons

Explanation

A chapter is a section of a book. Some long novels might be divided into twenty or thirty chapters. The noun chapter is good for talking about a subset or small section of some larger thing. Book chapters are one example, and so is a chapter in a person's life or a chapter of an organization or club. When you mention the "mopey teenage chapter" of your life, you mean one small portion of the years you've lived. And the Montana chapter of a national fan club is made up of only members who live in one state.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chapter chapters

He added: "Once again, a chapter in our nation's story has been marked by tragedy."

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

At the conclusion of the chapter, after all the relevant evidence has been presented, the reader learns if the defendant was found guilty and whether Virginia’s governor commuted the judge’s sentence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

And despite what those masked men might believe, every one of us has a role in shaping its next chapter.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

Zann was back home in Truro, Nova Scotia, figuring out her next chapter when she received an email from a friend who said producers at Disney were looking to have her audition for a show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

However, this chapter will introduce the National Core Arts Standards for Music, while the Common Core standards in ELA and Math can be used when creating integrated lesson plans as introduced in later chapters.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Several chapters depict tortuous scenes from Gerry’s life as they play out in memory and on the page.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The discovery, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, offers an unprecedented glimpse into one of the earliest chapters of cosmic history.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Inspired by Khalra's life, the film follows an activist investigating alleged human rights abuses during Punjab's separatist insurgency, one of the bloodiest chapters in modern Indian history.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

If you read the book, in the early chapters it’s rough with my folks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

“Pay the tab and I’ll give Sepia some articles—or let you use some chapters from the book I’ll write.”

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Related Words

• affiliate
• branch
• division
• episode
• member
• phase
• stage
• unit