noun
Common
heading
HEH-dihng
Heading (noun) means the title or short label at the top of a document, chapter, or section. Example: “Each chapter opens with a bold heading summarizing its content.”
noun
1
The title or short label at the top of a document, chapter, or section.
"Each chapter opens with a bold heading summarizing its content."
"She organized the report under three clear headings."
"The heading on the poster was so small that nobody could read it."
2
The direction a ship, aircraft, or vehicle is pointed or traveling in, usually measured in degrees.
"The pilot adjusted the heading slightly to compensate for the crosswind."
"The captain held a steady heading of north-east through the night."
"Our heading changed slightly when the wind pushed the little boat off course."
How to use heading
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a title above a piece of text, or the compass direction something is moving in.
Common pairings
section heading
change heading
under the heading of
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Word forms
- Plural
- headings
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Each chapter opens with a bold _____ summarizing its content.
Etymology
Formed from head plus the suffix -ing, originally referring to whatever stood at the "head" (top) of a page or a group.
Related words
Rhymes for heading
wading
fading
reading
trading
leading
loading
shading
pleading
treading
parading
spreading
uploading
See all rhymes for heading →
Frequently asked questions
What does “heading” mean?
The word “heading” means the title or short label at the top of a document, chapter, or section. In plain terms, either a title above a piece of text, or the compass direction something is moving in.
How do you pronounce “heading”?
“Heading” is pronounced HEH-dihng (/ˈhɛdɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “heading” in a sentence?
Here is “heading” used in a sentence: “Each chapter opens with a bold heading summarizing its content.”
What part of speech is “heading”?
“Heading” is a noun.
Is “heading” a common word?
“Heading” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “heading” have?
“Heading” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the title or short label at the top of a document, chapter, or section.
What is the difference between a heading and a title?
A title is the single name of a whole work — a book, report, or article. A heading is a label for a section within that work, marking where a new part begins. So a document has one title but may contain many headings, which guide the reader through the structure beneath the overall title.
What is the difference between a heading and a subheading?
A heading introduces a main section, while a subheading sits beneath it to label a smaller part within that section. Subheadings create a hierarchy: the heading is the broader topic and the subheadings break it into sub-topics. In formatting, headings are usually larger or bolder than the subheadings under them.
Why are headings important?
Headings break text into clear sections, making a document easier to scan and navigate. They signal what each part covers, help readers find information quickly, and reveal the overall structure at a glance. In digital writing they also aid accessibility and search, since screen readers and web crawlers rely on them to understand a page.
What is an example of a heading?
In a report, words like 'Introduction', 'Methods', 'Results', and 'Conclusion' are headings. In this dictionary, the word being defined acts as a heading. On a web page, a bold line such as 'Frequently Asked Questions' above a block of text is a heading that tells you what follows below it.
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