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

Now, her European reign has been ended by talented Swiss 22-year-old Audrey Werro, and a fresh wave of world-class rivals appear set to define the next chapter of Hodgkinson's story.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

AI is the latest chapter in a long history of oil-and-gas engineers expanding the frontiers of exploration and squeezing more hydrocarbons from fields.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Last week, the National Academy of Sciences, a Congressionally-chartered yet independent body, removed from its website a chapter on climate science from a manual for judges.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

“The Big Crispy is now a signature sandwich and another important chapter in our better-than-fast-food story that will continue to position Chili’s uniquely as a restaurant destination,” CEO Kevin Hochman said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Afterward, the children asked for a chapter from one of the Giddy-Yap, Rainbow! books.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

The final three chapters of the book address the proper role of business in society, particularly through public policy and philanthropy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

More than just describing a new animal, the study shows how Brazilian paleontology continues to contribute to our understanding of central chapters in the history of life on Earth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Until Euro 2016, Wales' story had been dominated by tales of heartache, Joe Jordan's handball in 1977 and the Romania defeat of 1993 among many painful chapters.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Let’s wait for the chapters to be written.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The answers that this approach suggests for the origin and fate of the universe and its contents, such as astronauts, will be described in the next two chapters.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

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