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

Do Actor Awards voters have a problem with subtitles? —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026

In Arabic, Greek and English, with subtitles. —Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026

Verb

The platform features content across multiple genres including romance, thriller, variety and fantasy, all subtitled in local languages. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026

The first exhibit on the calendar is subtitled, aptly, Memories of the Future. —Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 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