subtitle

1 of 2

noun

sub·​ti·​tle ˈsəb-ˌtī-tᵊl 

1

: a secondary or explanatory title

2

: a printed statement or fragment of dialogue appearing on the screen between the scenes of a silent movie or appearing as a translation at the bottom of the screen during the scenes of a movie or television show in a foreign language

subtitle

2 of 2

verb

subtitled; subtitling; subtitles

transitive verb

: to give a subtitle to

Examples of subtitle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The series' first two episodes are almost entirely in Hawaiian with subtitles, which may be a barrier for some viewers, but shouldn't be. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025

In Arabic, Greek and English with English subtitles. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025

Verb

Goenka believes that while subtitling makes cross-language viewing easier, comfort viewing is eventually about watching content in your own language, every day. —Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

Some jokes start subtitled and end up in spoken English, and that has a whole different vibe. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subtitle

• title
• vital
• entitle
• recital

Kids Definition

subtitle

noun

sub·​ti·​tle

ˈsəb-ˌtīt-ᵊl

1

: a secondary or explanatory title

2

: a printed statement or bit of dialogue appearing on the screen between the scenes of a silent movie or at the bottom of the screen during the scenes of a television show or movie for viewers with hearing loss or as a translation of a foreign language

subtitle verb