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
But the craziest part was the very long process of translating their Japanese performance back into the English subtitles. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 While the earlier adaptation left Japanese-language conversations untranslated to mirror Blackthorne’s isolation in an unfamiliar country, this version features English subtitles, enabling the showrunners to explore the lives of a rich cast of Japanese-speaking characters. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Honor also highlighted other, more AI-sounding features, like smart picture search, document summary, text comprehension, and AI subtitles. Julian Chokkattu Simon Hill, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 The streaming and early access to shows from Japan with subtitles and dubs. Nick Statt, The Verge, 26 Feb. 2024 The drama didn't even use subtitles, which were not yet a common element of television. Nick Romano, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024 And even the subtitles — which had been deemed an unnecessary distraction from our English-speaking heroes in the previous version — came in for special attention. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024 The film is in French and Wolof with English subtitles. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024 His Anti-Corruption Foundation put out brilliant, hilarious videos (with English subtitles) documenting Kremlin corruption, including one in 2017 on former president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev that spotlighted his mansions and yachts. Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
The network placed straight-to-series orders for a Young Sheldon spinoff, an NCIS prequel subtitled Origins and a Sherlock Holmes-adjacent medical drama caled Watson. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 But that earlier series also kept its Japanese characters at arm’s length, never subtitling the language—a method that prioritized the perspective of John Blackthorne, the English protagonist who washes up on Japan’s shores. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 What went into the decision not to over-explain Bob’s accent, the use of Jamaican Patois or to subtitle the film? Angelique Jackson, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 The 2020 movie, subtitled Lassie Come Home, was structured around this incident, with Omundson's character also recovering from a stroke. Danny Horn, EW.com, 13 Feb. 2024 The basic-cable network on Tuesday, ahead of its time at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, announced that the horror franchise will return for a third season and be subtitled Devil in Silver, with the new cycle based on the book of the same name by Victor LaValle. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2024 Silver Surfers, subtitled Sports Cars of the Sixties, documents Peart’s auto obsession. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2024 All films will be subtitled in 11 languages, including Arabic, English, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish and Ukrainian, while the feature section will also be available for free in many Latin American, African and Middle Eastern territories. Ben Croll, Variety, 9 Jan. 2024 His fans will love it, his detractors will automatically gnash their teeth and mourn the art form, and, like so much of Snyder’s back catalog, Chapter 1 (subtitle: A Child of Fire) will likely become an event movie for all the wrong reasons. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2023

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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