Meaning & Definition of word "Caption"

Caption

/ˈkæp.ʃən/

noun:

  • 1. A brief explanation or description accompanying an illustration, cartoon, or photograph.
    • Example: The magazine included a witty caption under the humorous cartoon.
  • 2. A title or heading, especially for a chapter, article, or other text.
    • Example: The chapter had a captivating caption that drew the reader in.

verb:

  • 1. To provide a title or explanation for an illustration, photograph, or other visual media.
    • Example: She will caption the photos from the event before sharing them online.
  • 2. To summarize the content or message of a visual element in a concise manner.
    • Example: The artist chose to caption her painting with a thought-provoking quote.

Etymology

Derived from Middle English 'capcion', from Latin 'captionem', meaning 'a taking, seizing'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

caption contest:

A competition where participants create captions for humorous or interesting images.

caption this:

A phrase inviting people to create a caption for a particular image.

photo caption:

A descriptive text accompanying a photograph.

Related Words

legend:

An explanatory note or description, especially for a map or illustration.

subtitle:

A text translation of dialogue in films, usually appearing at the bottom of the screen.

Slang Meanings of caption

Meaning: A humorous or sarcastic remark related to an image.

Example Sentence: That meme has the best caption -- it totally captures the mood!

Meaning: A catchy line added to social media posts to gain attention.

Example Sentence: She used a funny caption on her Instagram post to get more likes.