subtitle

1 of 2

noun

sub·​ti·​tle ˈsəb-ˌtī-tᵊl How to pronounce subtitle (audio)
1
: a secondary or explanatory title
2
: a printed statement or fragment of dialogue appearing on the screen between the scenes of a silent motion picture or appearing as a translation at the bottom of the screen during the scenes of a motion picture 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 film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023 In Spanish with subtitles. GOLD RUN In this thriller, a man is tasked with keeping his country’s gold reserves away from the Nazis during the 1940 invasion of Norway. Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023 Showtime for each film is 7:30 p.m. and all are presented with English subtitles. Joey Morona, cleveland, 28 Aug. 2023 Speaking Haitian Creole with English subtitles, Dorsainvil also discussed her captors, who haven’t been identified publicly. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023 The musical production is in Hindi and Urdu, with English subtitles playing out on LED screens. Kavita Daswani, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 In English and some Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2023 Audiences seemed decreasingly deterred by those pesky subtitles. Time, 17 Aug. 2023 In Korean with subtitles. AUG. 18 BACK ON THE STRIP After losing the woman of his dreams, Merlin (Spence Moore II) moves to Las Vegas to pursue work as a magician only to get hired as the frontman in a revival of a notorious Black male stripper crew, the Chocolate Chips. Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 10 Aug. 2023
Verb
Some studios are hands-on in the captioning process, and others ask producers to deliver content to them with subtitling already complete. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 June 2023 Delicate Condition happens to also be the basis for the upcoming 12th season of American Horror Story, subtitled Delicate and starring Emma Roberts and Kim Kardashian. Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023 Depending on the day, several theaters are offering showings subtitled in Spanish including AMC Perry Crossing, AMC Washington Square and AMC Indianapolis 17. Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 27 July 2023 Mackie’s book, subtitled His Work and His World in Pieces, is a welcome reminder that the universe reflected in Mozart’s operas, symphonies, concertos, and chamber works was very much shaped by political and social currents—some of which reflect the anxieties and hopes of our own time as well. Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, The Atlantic, 17 July 2023 The global nature of content has also changed things for the subtitling industry, as streamers now often ask for subtitles in nine languages — including French, Italian, German and Spanish — before their shows drop, and put greater emphasis on their non-English-language projects. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 June 2023 The upcoming 12th season of AHS, which itself has been to the bargaining table when fans unionized, is subtitled Delicate and will be based on Danielle Valentine’s novel of the same name. Vulture, 31 May 2023 The global success of Korean productions demonstrates the international reach of Netflix — which can subtitle or dub shows in more than 30 languages — but also of the growing power of Seoul as a creative hub, Kang, the Netflix vice president, said. Matt Stevens, New York Times, 7 May 2023 Broadcast television premiers at the New York World’s Fair, subtitled The Fair of the Future. Cassie Werber, Quartz, 2 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subtitle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subtitle was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near subtitle

Cite this Entry

“Subtitle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtitle. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

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 appearing as a translation at the bottom of the screen during the scenes of a movie in a foreign language
subtitle verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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