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Meaning & use

title

noun, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtaɪtl/
US/ˈtaɪtl/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    The name given to a book, film, song or other work.

    Grammar: Takes an or the: the title of the book.

    Patterns

    • the title of something
    • a title for something

    I can't remember the title of that song.

    The film's title gives away the ending.

    She chose a short title for her essay.

  2. nouncountable

    A word placed before a name to show someone's rank, job or status, such as Dr or Sir.

    Grammar: Takes an or the: a title such as Professor.

    Patterns

    • the title of something

    Her title is Chief Financial Officer.

    He earned the title of professor after years of research.

    The king gave him the title of duke.

  3. nouncountablesport

    The position of being a winner or champion in a sport or contest.

    Grammar: Often with win or hold: win the title.

    Patterns

    • win the title
    • defend the title

    The team won the league title last season.

    She hopes to defend her title this weekend.

    He lost his world title on points.

  4. noununcountablelegal

    The legal right to own a piece of property, or the document that proves it.

    Grammar: No an or plural in this sense: title to the land.

    Patterns

    • title to something
    • title deed

    The buyer checked that the seller had clear title to the house.

    She keeps the title to the car in a safe.

    A lawyer reviewed the title before the sale.

  5. verbtransitive

    To give a name to a book, film or similar work.

    Grammar: Often passive: the book is titled Winter.

    Patterns

    • title something something

    She titled her first novel Harbor Lights.

    The director titled the film after a famous poem.

    The report was titled Annual Review.

Word forms

pluraltitles
third person singulartitles
past tensetitled
past participletitled
-ing formtitling

Common combinations

the title of
What is the title of her latest novel?
win the title
The young boxer won the title in his third year.
job title
Her job title is project manager.
title deed
The title deed was stored with the bank.
title role
He played the title role in the play.
defend a title
The champion will defend his title next month.

Synonyms and how they differ

name
Name is a general word for what something is called, while title is used especially for works, positions and honors.
heading
Heading is the text at the top of a section, and it is smaller in scope than the title of a whole work.
championship
Championship names the competition or the winning position, while title is the honor you hold after winning it.
designation
Designation is a formal word for an official name or classification, often for roles, and is less common in everyday talk.

Word family

titled adjective
having a noble title, or having a certain name
subtitle noun
a second title that adds detail
entitle verb
to give someone a right to something
titleholder noun
the current champion

Commonly confused: title or entitle?

title vs entitle

Entitle means to give someone a right or a name, and it is a different verb from title, which means to name a work.

Practice

After winning the final, she became the national tennis ___ holder.

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