Vocabulary Spotlight

Captions

Part of Speech: Noun (plural of caption)

Definition: Explanatory text accompanying images, illustrations, or videos, providing additional information.

“The captions under the images helped viewers understand the sequence of events.”

Pronunciation

[kap-shuhnz]

Synonyms, Antonyms & Related Words

Synonyms

Descriptions
Subtitles
Annotations
Explanations
Headings

Antonyms

Main text
Paragraphs
Body text

Related Words

Caption (noun)
Captioning (verb)

Word Origin

“Captions” derives from the singular “caption,” which originated from the Latin “captio,” meaning “a taking or capturing.” It evolved to refer to descriptive text for images or media.

Word Family

Noun: Caption – A title or description for an image or video.

Noun: Captions – Plural of caption, referring to multiple descriptions or annotations.

Verb: Captioning – The act of adding captions to media.

Mnemonics

Think “Captions” as “Captures the details” – text that provides additional context for visual media.

Industry-specific Usage

Television

Captions on TV allow viewers to read spoken words and sounds, especially beneficial for the hearing impaired.

Publishing

In publishing, captions provide context for images, diagrams, and other visual elements in books and magazines.

Education

Educational materials often include captions to explain diagrams and illustrations, enhancing understanding for students.

In Context

Captions serve as an essential tool for media accessibility, aiding comprehension of images, videos, and multimedia content across various platforms.

Vocabulary Challenges

1. Which of the following is a synonym for “captions”?

Annotations
Body text
Content
Main text

‘Annotations’ is correct as it provides additional explanations for media content.

2. Fill in the blank: The _______ below each picture gave viewers extra information about the story.

paragraphs
text
captions
body text

‘Captions’ is correct as it refers to the explanatory text accompanying images.

3. Where would “captions” most likely be used?

In the main body of a news article
Under images in a photo gallery
In a recipe
In a table of contents

‘Under images in a photo gallery’ is correct, as captions typically provide context or explanations for images.