title

Pluraltitles

Formstitles, titling, titled

1. 1
   writing's namenouncountable

   The name of a book, film, song, painting or other written or artistic work.

   She struggled for weeks to find a title that captured the spirit of her memoir.

   The article's title promised far more than the text delivered.

   Similarname

2. 2
   championshipnouncountable

   The distinction conferred on whoever wins a sports championship.

   The club has held the national title for three straight seasons.

   He defended his heavyweight title against a determined challenger.

   UsageTeams win, hold, defend or lose a title: defended his heavyweight title.

   Similarchampionship, crown

   Note

   It is often embodied in something physical, such as a belt or a trophy, and it usually carries a qualifier naming the contest, as in a national title or a heavyweight title. Source

   Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

   • Sports championship titles can be represented by physical belts or trophies. en.wikipedia.org
3. 3
   rank namenouncountable

   A word or phrase attached to a person's name to indicate rank, office, honor, profession, or academic qualification.

   After earning her doctorate, she added the title 'Dr.' to her name.

   The duke inherited his title along with the family estate.

   Similarhonorific, rank

   Note

   Said without a qualifier, a title usually means a rank of nobility. Edgar Rice Burroughs's The Return of Tarzan (1913) has an old man who puts "an exaggerated value on the advantages of a title", and Ben Travers's novel A Cuckoo in the Nest finds one still possessing "some surreptitious allurement". The official form used in addressing or referring to a titled person has its own formal name: a style. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 5 facts

   • Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote The Return of Tarzan. gutenberg.org
   • The first book edition appeared in 1915. The story was serialized in 1913. digitalcommons.winthrop.edu
   • The novel describes an old man as putting an exaggerated value on the advantages of a title. gutenberg.org
   • Ben Travers's novel A Cuckoo in the Nest contains the words 'some surreptitious allurement' describing a title's appeal. en.wiktionary.org
   • A style is a traditional or legally recognized form of address or reference; it need not comprise all a person's honorific designations. simple.wiktionary.org
4. 4
   published itemnouncountable

   An individual published work, such as a book, magazine, recording, or video game, considered as a distinct item in a catalog or list.

   The publisher releases around fifty new titles every year.

   The studio's best-selling title spawned three sequels.

   Similarpublication, release

   Note

   Here the name stands for the thing itself. A retailer that carries thousands of titles is counting distinct works, not copies: one novel stocked a hundred times over is still one title. The usage belongs to trade talk about books, recordings and games, and it grew by extension from the name of a book. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

   • The sense meaning a published work developed by extension from the sense meaning its name. en.wiktionary.org
5. 5
   verbtransitive

   To assign a name to a written or artistic work; to entitle.

   The committee asked her to title the report something less technical.

   He titled the exhibition 'Fragments of Memory.'

   UsageOften titled before the name: a song titled 'Home'. Entitled is also used.

   Similarname, entitle, call

6. 6
   ownershipnouncountable or uncountable

   The legal right to own a piece of property, or the deed or similar document that serves as proof of that right.

   The bank holds the title until the loan is paid off.

   Before closing, the lawyer confirmed that the seller had clear title to the land.

   UsageThe right is title to something: clear title to the land; the document is simply the title.

   Similarownership, deed, right

   Note

   Property lawyers treat title as something that can be sound or flawed: a good title, an imperfect title, clear title. It may be legal or equitable, and a defect anywhere in the chain of conveyance can make it unmarketable. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Property title can be sound or defective. law.cornell.edu
   • Title may be legal or equitable. en.wikipedia.org
   • A defect in the chain of conveyance can make title unmarketable. law.cornell.edu
7. 7
   nouncountable

   A name or label that marks out a person, place, or thing as distinguished, often because it is the best, the first, or the most notable example of its kind.

   The new tower will take the title of tallest building in the city when it opens next year.

   For a decade the corner bakery has kept its title as the place with the best bagels in the neighborhood.

   UsageUsually take, hold or keep the title of + superlative, often with no the: the title of tallest building.

   Similarcrown, distinction

8. 8
   law sectionnouncountable

   A major section or division of a legal code, statute, or book, often containing chapters or articles.

   Immigration matters fall under Title 8 of the United States Code.

   The treaty's third title deals with trade in services.

   Similarsection, part, division

   Note

   A unit of legal architecture: in statutes and codes it ranks above chapters and sections, and some long books borrow the same division. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Titles are divisions of legal codes above chapters and sections. senate.gov
   • Books can also have divisions called titles. en.wiktionary.org

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