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caption

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈkæpʃən/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈkæpʃən/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(kap′shən)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cap•tion /ˈkæpʃən/USA pronunciation   n. 
    [countable]
  1. Literaturea title or explanation for a picture:The caption under the photo read, "Winter in the Alps.''
  2. Show Businessa subtitle for a movie or a television program.

v. [~ + object]
  1. Literatureto supply a caption or captions for:a French film captioned in English.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cap•tion  (kap′shən),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Literaturea title or explanation for a picture or illustration, esp. in a magazine.
  2. Literaturea heading or title, as of a chapter, article, or page.
  3. Show Business[Motion Pictures, Television.]the title of a scene, the text of a speech, etc., superimposed on the film and projected onto the screen.
  4. Lawthe heading of a legal document stating the time, place, etc., of execution or performance.

v.t. 
  1. Literatureto supply a caption or captions for;
    entitle:to caption a photograph.
  • Latin captiōn- (stem of captiō), equivalent. to capt(us) taken (see captive) + -iōn- -ion
  • Middle English capcio(u)n seizure 1350–1400
cap′tion•less, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
caption /ˈkæpʃən/ n
  1. a title, brief explanation, or comment accompanying an illustration; legend
  2. a heading, title, or headline of a chapter, article, etc
  3. graphic material, usually containing lettering, used in television presentation
  4. another name for subtitle
  5. the formal heading of a legal document stating when, where, and on what authority it was taken or made
 vb
  1. to provide with a caption or captions
Etymology: 14th Century (meaning: seizure, an arrest; later, heading of a legal document): from Latin captiō a seizing, from capere to take
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'caption' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
captious - cutline - subtitle - title - heading - recaption - underline
Collocations: [article, show, program, movie, newspaper] captions, an [illustrative, imaginative, explanatory] caption, use captions to [show, explain, highlight, mock], more...

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