titular
Americanadjective
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existing or being such in title only; nominal; having the title but none of the associated duties, powers, etc..
the titular head of the company.
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from whom or which a title or name is taken.
His titular Saint is Michael.
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of, relating to, or of the nature of a title.
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having a title, especially of rank.
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designating any of the Roman Catholic churches in Rome whose nominal incumbents are cardinals.
adjective
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of, relating to, or of the nature of a title
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in name only
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bearing a title
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giving a title
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RC Church designating any of certain churches in Rome to whom cardinals or bishops are attached as their nominal incumbents
noun
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the bearer of a title
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the bearer of a nominal office
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of titular
Explanation
You might say you’re the boss man in your household, but if everybody else in the family ignores you, 'boss man' is probably a titular position for you. In other words, it’s just a title. There’s no power behind it. We get titular from the Latin word titulus, meaning "title." Nowadays, it means that you hold an official title but don’t have any power or responsibility along with it. The Queen of England is a titular head of state. She doesn’t actually govern. A titular director doesn’t direct. Titular can also mean referencing the title. If you're playing the role of Dave in the play All About Dave, you're playing the titular role.
Vocabulary lists containing titular
This Week In Culture: March 29–April 4, 2020
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"The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol
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"Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite cinema’s extensive library of cheerful animal heroes, led by “Babe” and Wilbur of “Charlotte’s Web,” the titular premise of “The Sheep Detectives” apparently strikes many people as bizarre.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
One of the country's biggest stars, he brings an air of wounded sincerity to his performance, as he pines for the titular heroine, whose name appears 20 times throughout the song.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
She’s thinking about a titular podcast, in which she’d interview women of different ages about their bodies and their lives.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
At a pivotal point in “The Christophers,” Lori explains how she can see that Julian was phoning it in during his later series of the titular paintings.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
Oceania has no capital, and its titular head is a person whose whereabouts nobody knows.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
