What does subtitle mean?
A subtitle is text that supplements the main content of a film, television programme, video, or other visual media. It may translate dialogue, transcribe speech, identify speakers, or briefly explain important sounds. Subtitles commonly appear at the bottom of the screen, though they can also be placed elsewhere or supplied as a selectable subtitle track. The word can also be used as a verb, as in “a film is subtitled in several languages,” meaning that it is provided with such text. In everyday use, subtitles are especially associated with translated versions of films and television programmes, while captioning is more broadly associated with accessibility and may include descriptions of relevant visual information. The term is natural in both British and American English, although specific distinctions between subtitles and captions can differ between media platforms and accessibility services.
A secondary title, caption, or line of text accompanying a film, television programme, video, or other visual media, often presenting translated or transcribed dialogue.
"The subtitles made the foreign-language film easier to follow."
Often used with a language name, as in "English subtitles" or "subtitles in Spanish".
To provide a film, programme, video, or other visual media with subtitles, especially translated or transcribed dialogue.
"The episode was subtitled for an international audience."
Usually passive or used with a language name when referring to translation into a particular language.
The plural is standard for the noun, especially when referring to the lines of translated or transcribed dialogue accompanying visual media.
"The subtitles appear automatically when the stream is set to English."
A subtitle can do more than translate: it can identify a speaker, explain a sound, or carry the story when the image cannot.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does subtitle come from?
The word was formed in English by combining the prefix sub-, meaning under or secondary, with title. Title comes through Old French from the Latin titulus, meaning a label, inscription, or heading. The development of subtitle as a term for text accompanying audiovisual material reflects its original sense of a secondary or subordinate title.
Related word forms
How subtitle is actually used
The term is common in British and American English. In media contexts, subtitles may translate dialogue, while captions can also describe relevant sounds and visual information; the distinction varies by platform and accessibility service.
Easily confused with subtitle
A subtitle is usually a line of translated or transcribed dialogue beneath visual media, whereas a caption may describe a picture, identify a speaker, or provide accessibility information for any type of media.
A title is the principal name of a work, while a subtitle is a secondary title or textual line that supplements the main title or accompanies audiovisual content.