closed captioning

noun

The transcription, either verbatim or in edited form, of the dialogue and sometimes sound effects of a program, displayed onscreen and synchronized with the program, most frequently used by the deaf and language learners. Closed captions are encoded invisibly, and displayed by a decoder.

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Meanings

nounclosed captioning (uncountable)

alternative close captioning

  1. uncountableThe transcription, either verbatim or in edited form, of the dialogue and sometimes sound effects of a program, displayed onscreen and synchronized with the program, most frequently used by the deaf and language learners. Closed captions are encoded invisibly, and displayed by a decoder.

    ... the closed captioning said, "There were no survivors of flight 815." [Note from Season 3: turns out it was "We're the survivors of flight 815."]

    2015 September 18, James O'Ehley, Erin Willard, The Take2 Guide to Lost: Mandatory television generated a sweeping dialogue … and here it is., Take2 Publishing, →ISBN
  2. formaluncountableThe analogue standard for this transcription, which analogue media like videotapes, laser discs, and cable television use, but also digital forms like satellite television and DVDs.

Origin

"Closed" originally indicated that such captions were by default not visible until activated (opened) by the viewer turning them on, in contrast to open captions which are embedded in the video itself, visible to all.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

closed captioning. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/closed%20captioning

MLA

“closed captioning.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/closed%20captioning. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “closed captioning,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/closed%20captioning.

Source: closed captioning on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.