chapter

noun

chap·​ter ˈchap-tər How to pronounce chapter (audio)
Synonyms of chapternext
1
a
: a main division of a book
b
: something resembling a chapter in being a significant specified unit
a new chapter in my life
2
a
: a regular meeting of the canons of a cathedral or collegiate church or of the members of a religious house
b
: the body of canons of a cathedral or collegiate church
3
: a local branch of an organization

Synonyms of chapter

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of chapter in a Sentence

Chapter three deals with the country's economy. Please read the first two chapters of your textbook for our next class. Becoming a parent opened up a whole new chapter in my life. a difficult chapter in European history
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Long revered as a visual powerhouse, Death Row Records now embarks on an ambitious new chapter with the expansion of Death Row Pictures. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 Hardy said the production will play out in chapters, with each company presenting a work spotlighting a legacy bearer whose life and contributions embody that chapter’s theme. — Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 But as the third and purportedly final chapter of the trilogy, a smart campaign will get awards voters focused on the enormity of the Dune endeavor as a whole, on par with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 Kaye is upbeat about this new chapter, speaking in a video call from his house in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chapter

Word History

Etymology

Middle English chapitre, from Anglo-French chapitre, chapitle, from Late Latin capitulum division of a book & Medieval Latin, meeting place of canons, from Latin, diminutive of capit-, caput head — more at head

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chapter was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing chapter

Rhymes for chapter

See All Rhymes for chapter

Browse Nearby Words

chaptalize
chapter
Chapter 11
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chapter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapter. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

chapter

noun
chap·​ter ˈchap-tər How to pronounce chapter (audio)
1
a
: a main division of a book or of a law code
b
: something like a chapter in being a significant unit
a chapter in my life
2
: a local branch of an organization
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All