chapter

noun

chap·​ter ˈchap-tər 

1

a

: a main division of a book

b

: something resembling a chapter in being a significant specified unit

a new chapter in my life

2

a

: a regular meeting of the canons of a cathedral or collegiate church or of the members of a religious house

b

: the body of canons of a cathedral or collegiate church

3

: a local branch of an organization

Synonyms

• affiliate
• branch
• cell
• council
• local

Examples of chapter in a Sentence

Chapter three deals with the country's economy.

Please read the first two chapters of your textbook for our next class.

Becoming a parent opened up a whole new chapter in my life.

a difficult chapter in European history

Recent Examples on the Web

Members of Students for a Democratic Society’s Denver chapter said campus officials warned them police would disperse the protest at sunset, but no police officers were at the site as of 8 p.m. —Julianna O'Clair, The Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2024

Now she is forced to face the following next chapter of her life without the career that gave her fame, fortune and, most importantly, identity. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English chapitre, from Anglo-French chapitre, chapitle, from Late Latin capitulum division of a book & Medieval Latin, meeting place of canons, from Latin, diminutive of capit-, caput head — more at head

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chapter

• a chapter of accidents
• chapter and verse
• sub-chapter

Kids Definition

chapter

noun

chap·​ter ˈchap-tər 

1

a

: a main division of a book or of a law code

b

: something like a chapter in being a significant unit

a chapter in my life

2

: a local branch of an organization