heading

American  

[hed-ing] / ˈhɛd ɪŋ /

noun

1. something that serves as a head, top, or front.

2. a title or caption of a page, chapter, etc.

3. a section of the subject of a discourse; a main division of a topic or theme.

4. the compass direction toward which a traveler or vehicle is or should be moving; course.

5. an active underground mining excavation in the earth, as a drift or raise being or about to be driven.

6. Aeronautics. the angle between the axis from front to rear of an aircraft and some reference line, as magnetic north.

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heading British  

/ ˈhɛdɪŋ /

noun

1. a title for a page, paragraph, chapter, etc

2. a main division, as of a lecture, speech, essay, etc

3. mining

   1. a horizontal tunnel

   2. the end of such a tunnel

4. the angle between the direction of an aircraft and a specified meridian, often due north

5. the compass direction parallel to the keel of a vessel

6. the act of heading

7. anything that serves as a head

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Other Word Forms

• nonheading noun

Etymology

Origin of heading

First recorded in 1250–1300, heading is from the Middle English word hefding. See head, -ing ¹

Explanation

A heading is a word, phrase, or sentence at the beginning of a written passage that explains what it's about. A heading is very similar to a title. A heading is similar to a caption, a line below a photograph that briefly explains it. Headings show up at the top of paragraphs, chapters, or pages, and they give you an idea of what the subject is. You might write a heading for each chapter of your novel, or on each page of your French club newsletter. The 1300's meaning of heading was "beheading," and it wasn't until the late 1800's that it came to mean "title."

Example Sentences

Residents in their prime working years are heading to other states, often citing affordability concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

In the Nashville airport, he found himself alongside a group of firemen heading to Oklahoma to help with the rescue.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

The incongruous editing is akin to zoning out while your buddy is talking, coming-to halfway through their thought and playing along like you understood where it was heading the entire time.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

A leading expert in diabetes psychology, who is heading up a new UK-first care pathway, said the toll of managing diabetes was like "having to beat your own heart".

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

The badger lumbered through the mossy gate, heading toward the throbbing red light.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• route