headline

American  

[hed-lahyn] / ˈhɛdˌlaɪn /

noun

• headlines
  plural

1. a heading in a newspaper for any written material, sometimes for an illustration, to indicate subject matter, set in larger type than that of the copy and containing one or more words and lines and often several banks.

2. the largest such heading on the front page, usually at the top.

3. the line at the top of a page, containing the title, pagination, etc.

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verb (used with object)

headlined, headlining

1. to furnish with a headline.

2. to mention or name in a headline.

3. to publicize, feature, or star (a specific performer, product, etc.).

4. to be the star of (a show, nightclub act, etc.)

verb (used without object)

headlined, headlining

1. to be the star of an entertainment.

headline British  

/ ˈhɛdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. Also called: head.   heading. 

   1. a phrase at the top of a newspaper or magazine article indicating the subject of the article, usually in larger and heavier type

   2. a line at the top of a page indicating the title, page number, etc

2. (usually plural) the main points of a television or radio news broadcast, read out before the full broadcast and summarized at the end

3. to become prominent in the news

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verb

1. (tr) to furnish (a story or page) with a headline

2. to have top billing (in)

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• headlines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of headline

First recorded in 1620–30; head + line ¹

Explanation

A headline is the title of a newspaper story. You'll know the headline, because it's printed in the largest font on the front of the paper. Printed newspapers have headlines, and online journals, magazines, and newspapers also use headlines. A headline is the title of a story in the paper, and it's usually easy to spot by its large, bold letters. Sometimes television and radio news also use the word headline to mean the biggest, most important news stories of the day. The word was originally a printer's term for the title and page number, and by 1890 it meant "newspaper title."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

headline headlines headlined headlining

"Killer kitchen dust" is the i Paper's headline, writing that loved ones of the victims of silicosis will "receive higher compensation" as "new legislation goes to Parliament".

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

The latest reading has headline PCE at 3.7% and core PCE at 3.3%, and Warsh built much of Friday’s speech around that measurement.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

I’d barely unpacked my vacation bags when a gaggle of sources and news reports grabbed my attention, and the Calmatters story and headline neatly summed things up:

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

By the way, the third name doppelgänger in that NBC headline is former Anchorage Mayor Dan A. Sullivan, a Republican, who’s the oldest of the trio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

A Bloomberg News headline that caught Jamie’s eye, and stuck in his mind: “Senate Majority Leader on Crisis: No One Knows What to Do.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

The couple kept tight-lipped about the fifth-floor apartment until 2012, at which point the building made headlines for a dryer-induced fire that destroyed much of the 5,800-square-foot home.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

While the ballroom has drawn headlines, the project also includes a military bunker.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

Following the conventions of the last decade’s headlines, is being a millennial simply anything you don’t like?

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

The Independent headlines on the anguish of families waiting to find out about missing loved ones.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

I wore a sleeveless aubergine dress to Barack’s address to the joint session of Congress and a sleeveless black sheath dress for my official White House photo, and suddenly my arms were making headlines.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

It will be headlined by unified super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner, with the American stepping up to lightweight to face Elif Nur Turhan – on her way to a potential 2027 showdown versus Caroline Dubois.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

She headlined festivals and became a global star with albums such as Here You Come Again.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

In an article in the right-wing Times daily headlined "Was it wrong to write so much about Jason Arday?" journalist Sarah Ditum defended her reporting.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

On the dreamy ballad “Después de Ti,” she was joined on guitar by Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex, reenacting their performance together from April, when Karol headlined Coachella.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

But my jaw really dropped when I read a July 19,2004, article from the International Herald Tribune headlined: “Want Fries With Outsourcing?”

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

Earlier this year, Katseye member Manon Bannerman also hit pause on performing with the pop group, meaning Saturday’s headlining performance in Pasadena will feature four of the group’s original six members.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

The likes of Saint Levant, Dystinct and Khaled are headlining the one-day festival, which feels like a step forward for Arabic music fan Mariam Azam.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

That makes Debbie and Judith relatable and extraordinary figures, in that they are 50-something women, played by 50-something women headlining a high-velocity espionage thriller, linked to developments each is entitled to be angry about.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

After a stint on the Warped Tour, Jimmy Eat World set out on a U.S. headlining tour in the fall, with Hey Mercedes opening.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

I was headlining at clubs all over the country.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• caption
• title