# caption

/ˈkæpʃən/ (US) · /kˈæpʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/caption
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. picture description

noun · CEFR B1

a short title or explanation printed below a picture, map, or cartoon.

For teachers: a brief explanation or title accompanying an illustration, photograph, or diagram.

- The caption under the photo explained that the building was over two hundred years old.
- The editor insisted on a more descriptive caption for the front-page photograph to ensure readers understood the historical context of the protest.

### 2. on-screen text

noun · CEFR B2

words shown on a screen during a video or film that describe the dialogue and sounds.

For teachers: textual representation of spoken dialogue and sound effects in audio-visual media, primarily for the benefit of deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers.

- I usually turn on the captions when watching movies so I don't miss any quiet dialogue.
- Modern streaming services provide closed captions that include descriptions of background music and significant sound effects to improve accessibility.

### 3. legal heading

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Formal

the heading of a legal document that shows the names of the people involved and the court.

For teachers: the introductory part of a legal document or pleading which identifies the parties, the court, and the case number.

- The lawyer checked the caption of the document to make sure the case number was correct.
- The clerk rejected the filing because the caption failed to list all the co-defendants as required by the local court rules.

### 4. to provide a description

verb · CEFR B2

to write a short explanation for a picture or video.

For teachers: to provide or supplement an image, diagram, or video with explanatory text.

- She spent an hour trying to caption her holiday photos before posting them online.
- The documentary was carefully captioned to ensure it met international accessibility standards for broadcast television.

## Examples

- The photo caption explains who is in the picture.
- She spent ten minutes thinking of a funny caption for her latest vacation photo.
- While the image itself was striking, the ironic caption provided the necessary subtext to understand the artist's critique of modern consumer culture.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.