titular

T1I1T1U1L1A1R1
UK/ˈtɪtjʊlə/US/ˈtɪt͡ʃəlɚ/

adjective

Of, relating to, being, derived from, or having a title.

“Macbeth is a titular character.”

Similar
titularynominalformal
OriginMiddle French titulaire ← Latin titulāris ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? →
Less commonScrabble 7
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Meanings

adjectivetitular (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf, relating to, being, derived from, or having a title.
  2. not comparableExisting in name only; nominal.

    If these magnific titles yet remain / Not merely titular.

    1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
  3. not comparableNamed or referred to in the title.

    Macbeth is a titular character.

    1 more example

    That story begins in rural Wyoming in 1963, when drifters Ennis and Jack are hired by a local rancher to herd sheep through grazing ground on the titular Brokeback Mountain.

    2025 June 20, Nick Levine, “'In every theatre, people would leave': How 'gay cowboy movie' Brokeback Mountain challenged Hollywood – and the US”, in BBC, archived from the original on 02 Oct 2025
nountitular (plural titulars)

plural titulars

  1. One who holds a title.
  2. The person from whom a church takes its special name; distinguished from a patron, who must be canonized or an angel.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveof or relating to a legal title to something

Similar
titulary

adjectiveexisting in name only

Similar
nominalformal
Also see
nominaltitulary

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latintitulus
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  4. Latintitulāris
  5. Middle Frenchtitulaire
  6. Englishtitular

Borrowed from Middle French titulaire, from Latin titulāris, from titulus (“title”).

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian титулуван, номина́лен
  • титулуван (tituluvan)of a title
  • номина́лен (nominálen)nominal
  • титуляр (tituljar)one who holds a title
Catalan titular, nominal
  • titularof a title
  • nominalnominal
  • titularone who holds a title
Czech titulní
  • titulníreferred to in the title
Dutch titulair, titulair
  • titulairof a title
  • titulairnominal
  • nominaalnominal
  • titelvoerderone who holds a title
  • titeldragerone who holds a title
French titulaire, nominal
  • titulaireof a title
  • nominalnominal
  • titulairenominal
German nominell, Ehren-
  • nominellnominal
  • Ehren-nominal
  • Titular-nominal
  • Titel-referred to in the title
  • Namens-referred to in the title
  • Titelträgerone who holds a title
Indonesian tituler, tituler
  • titulerof a title
  • titulerone who holds a title
Polish tytularny
  • tytularnynominal
Spanish titular, del título
  • titularof a title
  • del títuloreferred to in the title
  • titularone who holds a title
Urdu عنوانی
  • عنوانی ('nvānī)referred to in the title
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“titular.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/titular. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “titular,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/titular.

Source: titular on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.