caption

Meaning

Noun

1. The descriptive heading or title, of a document or part thereof.
2. A title or brief explanation attached to an illustration, cartoon, user interface element, etc.
3. A piece of text appearing on screen as a subtitle or other part of a film or broadcast, describing dialogue (and sometimes other sound) for viewers who cannot hear.
4. The section on an official paper (for example, as part of a seizure or capture) that describes when, where, and what was taken, found or executed, and who authorized the act.
5. (obsolete) A seizure or capture, especially of tangible property (chattel).

Verb

1. To add captions to a text or illustration.
2. To add captions to a film or broadcast.

Synonyms

heading

title

subtitle

legend

head

headline

style

interest rate cap

header

designation

degree

subtitles

index

inscription

label

🏷️

letterhead

logomachy

pedantry

position

quibble

rank

sophistication

supertitle

billhead

cutline

surtitle

tagline

heading line

cap option

strapline

according to

bill-head

appellation

as

cavil

credit

credits

description

elucidation

explanation

explication

exposition

in accordance with

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkæp.ʃən/

Etymology

Cognate with English: capture

Cognate with Middle English: capcioun

In summary

Borrowed from Latin captiō (“deception, fraud”), from the past participle of capiō (“I take, I seize”) (English capture). Compare Middle English capcioun (“seizure, capture”).