titular

1 of 2

adjective

tit·​u·​lar ˈti-chə-lər 

ˈtich-lər

1

a

: having the title and usually the honors belonging to an office or dignity without the duties, functions, or responsibilities

the titular head of a political party

b

: existing in title only

especially : bearing a title derived from a defunct ecclesiastical jurisdiction (such as an episcopal see)

a titular bishop

2

: of, relating to, or constituting a title

the titular hero of the play

3

: bearing a title : titled

titularly adverb

titular

2 of 2

noun

: a person holding a title

Synonyms of titular

Adjective

• nominal

Examples of titular in a Sentence

Adjective

Although retired, he remains the titular chairman of the company.

he's the titular head of the department, though it's the assistant managers who largely run things around here

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In my forthcoming debut novel, the Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford, nearly every terrible thing that can happen to a man has happened to the titular character, a terrible person in his own right. — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026

Like fans of the movie, and Colleen Hoover’s book on which the movie is based, star Anne Hathaway (who plays the titular character in the film), has her own thoughts. — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Meanwhile, the 2024 Max spinoff The Penguin, which starred Farrell as the titular villain, served as a bridge in the gap between Batman films. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2026

At the top of Verity, the titular best-selling author (Anne Hathaway) and struggling writer Lowen (Dakota Johnson) couldn’t be more different. — Fawnia Soo Hoo, Allure, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin titulus title

First Known Use

Adjective

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1540, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for titular

• capitular

Kids Definition

titular

adjective

tit·​u·​lar

ˈtich-(ə-)lər

: being something in title only : nominal

the titular head of state

titularly adverb