English Reference
Adjective

titular

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˈtɪtʃəɫɝ/ UK /tˈɪtjʊlɐ/ tit·u·lar UK spelling titulars

adj.having a name or title that is official, but not having the real power or money that goes with it.

adj.holding a title or name without the corresponding power, rank, or salary. Often used to describe a position that is honorary or ceremonial in nature.


SIMPLE

He is a titular head of the department but does not have much real power.

CONTEXTUAL

The president is the titular head of the state, but the prime minister holds the actual executive authority.

COMPLEX

While the professor holds a titular position at the university, his primary research funding comes from a private foundation rather than the state budget.

The away strip is an improvement; a refined navy, it has a nice alternative badge of the city’s titular castle and a magpie.

The Guardian· 20 Aug 2026

The titular Percy is a white cat perched on Clark’s lap, though her actual name was Blanche; Percy was the couple’s other cat .

Smithsonian Magazine· 17 Jun 2026

Etymology tree Etruscanbor. Latin titulus Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin -āris Latin titulārisder. Middle French titulairebor. English titular Borrowed from Middle French titulaire, from Latin titulāris, from titulus (“title”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin titulāris
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated