heading

heading — noun

1. A word or group of words that appears above a chapter, page, or section of writi

1.nounB1
Definition

A word or group of words that appears above a chapter, page, or section of writing and shows the topic of the text that follows.

Example

The chapter heading made it clear that the next section was about ancient Rome.

heading + that-clause showing topic

Naoko glanced at the newspaper heading and saw the news about the earthquake.

Common collocations
  • chapter heading
  • section heading
  • bold heading
  • newspaper heading
  • under the heading
  • heading of the essay
Synonyms
  • title

    more general; names the whole work rather than a section within it

  • headline

    used specifically for newspaper articles, often in large bold print

  • caption

    text that explains or describes an image, table, or illustration

Antonyms
  • footer

    text that appears at the bottom of a page rather than the top

Grammar Patterns

heading + of + noun phrase

under + the heading + '...'

Usage Note

A heading is different from a title: a title names the whole work (book, film, song), while a heading labels a section or chapter within a larger text. In academic and business writing, headings are often numbered (1.1, 1.2, etc.) to show the structure of the document.

Common Mistakes

I wrote a heading for my whole book.
I wrote a title for my whole book.
'heading' refers to a section label within a text, not the overall name of the book.
The heading of the picture said 'Sunset'.
The caption of the picture said 'Sunset'.
Text that explains an image is called a 'caption', not a 'heading'.

2. The particular direction that a ship, aircraft, vehicle, or person in motion is

2.nounB2
Definition

The particular direction that a ship, aircraft, vehicle, or person in motion is travelling or pointing towards, often measured as an angle from north.

Example

The pilot announced that the plane was changing its heading to avoid a storm.

change + heading

Samir checked the compass and adjusted the boat's heading toward the island.

Common collocations
  • change heading
  • maintain heading
  • set a heading
  • new heading
  • northward heading
  • compass heading
  • heading toward the island
Synonyms
  • direction

    more general and common in everyday speech; less technical than 'heading'

  • course

    the planned or intended path of travel, which may differ from the heading due to wind or current

  • bearing

    a more precise technical term; the angle of a line from one point to another measured from north

Grammar Patterns

change + heading

maintain + a + (adjective) + heading

heading + toward(s)/for + noun

Usage Note

Frequently used in navigation, aviation, and sailing contexts. The heading is expressed in degrees (e.g., 090°) or as a compass point (e.g., due north). Do not confuse 'heading' with 'course' — heading is where the vehicle is pointing, while course is the intended path over the ground, which may differ due to wind or current.

Common Mistakes

The plane's heading was 500 kilometres per hour.
The plane's heading was 270 degrees west.
'heading' is a direction (measured in degrees or compass points), not a speed.
We took a heading towards the supermarket.
We headed towards the supermarket.
For everyday walking or driving, use the verb 'head' or the noun 'direction', not 'heading'.

Word family

  • head
    nounA1
  • head
    verbB1
  • header
    nounB2
  • headway
    nounC1
  • headless
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to text that names or introduces something, but they apply to different contexts. A 'title' is the name of a complete work such as a book, film, or song (e.g., the title of a novel). A 'heading' labels a smaller section or chapter within a larger document (e.g., a chapter heading in a textbook). A 'headline' is the large bold text at the top of a newspaper article that summarises the story in a few words. A 'caption' appears below or beside an image, table, or diagram to explain what it shows. For example: The title of the report was 'Climate Change 2024'; the first section had the heading 'Global Temperature Trends'; the newspaper headline read 'Storm Hits Coast'; and the photo caption named the people in the picture.

heading ↗title ↗headline ↗caption ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • under the heading of

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in late Middle English from the noun 'head' (the top part of the body) plus the suffix '-ing'. The original meaning was 'the top part of something'. By the 1500s it had developed the sense of a title at the top of a page or section. The nautical sense of 'compass direction' emerged in the 1700s based on the idea of the 'head' or front of the ship pointing in a certain direction.