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

It will alter streaming for millions, usher in a new chapter in the film and TV industry, and leave one of the biggest US news outlets, CNN, in uncertain territory.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Likewise, a low income does not mean that you can’t retire and enjoy that chapter in comfort.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

Steinbeck never points to a definitive incitement to explain her behavior, instead writing, “I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents” to open a chapter devoted to Cathy’s backstory.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

Yet he went on correcting, as he had done for several previous editions, cutting and replacing words, rearranging sentences, even adding a new chapter to the sixth edition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

And though they had agreed not to show anyone the footage until it was edited together, he added, “We can even show them his latest chapter, if you want.”

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

She added that Archer was "not without flaw", but that "friends will recall him as an irrepressible life force through all the many differing chapters of his life".

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The organization, which has 2,000 members, has 28 chapters, up from nine when it launched in 2023.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

One of your book’s chapters is titled “Be the Adult in the Room.”

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

Other chapters observe what happens when Thems date or marry Whos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

“Read the first three chapters and then we can quiz each other,” he said, his eyes never leaving the page.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

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