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.

---

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

---

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

West Lothian band The Snuts are third from top of the bill, and told BBC Scotland News they are eyeing up a headline slot in the future.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

Trimming its headline size is worthwhile, but the larger opportunity lies in the operating framework behind it.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026

“Ireland introduces a significant degree of complexity and uncertainty for headline macro numbers,” Morgan Stanley economists wrote in a note to clients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

I’d filed the piece with a suggested headline saying the song was “a sledgehammering return to the dance floor,” a phrase that, you know, actually indicated how the song sounds.

From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026

Under the headline “Teach the Books, Touch the Heart,” she began with an anecdote about teaching John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

• caption
• title