heading

noun

head·​ing ˈhe-diŋ 

1

a

: something that forms or serves as a head

especially : an inscription, headline, or title standing at the top or beginning (as of a letter or chapter)

b

: the address and date at the beginning of a letter showing its place and time of origin

2

: the compass direction in which the longitudinal axis of a ship or aircraft points

broadly : direction

3

: drift sense 6

Synonyms

• caption
• head
• header
• headline
• rubric
• title

Examples of heading in a Sentence

What is your current heading?

We organized all the recipes under different subject headings.

His paintings usually fall under the heading of realism.

Recent Examples on the Web

To be cited in AIOs, make sure your content is credible, ideally with external validation (e.g., reviews, backlinks, expert quotes), clearly structured with headings, lists and short, specific answers and is consistently updated to remain relevant and useful. —Nick Brown, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025

On May 27, Priester was onboard an American Airlines flight heading to Chicago, per the statement. —Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 30 May 2025

Another nice-to-have: a yoga mat bag or carrying strap (if your mat doesn’t come with one), to make heading to and from class a little easier. —Kristin Canning, SELF, 30 May 2025

Among other things, markdown allows users to add formatting elements such as headings, lists, and links without the need for HTML tags. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for heading

• bedding
• dreading
• shedding
• shredding
• sledding
• spreading
• threading
• treading
• wedding
• beheading
• embedding
• homesteading

Kids Definition

heading

noun

head·​ing ˈhed-iŋ 

1

: the direction in which a ship or aircraft points

2

: something (as a title or an address) at the top or beginning (as of a letter or chapter)