chapter

noun

chap·​ter ˈchap-tər 

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

• affiliate
• cell

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

Now, the longtime CEO wakes up to a blank outlook calendar; Hartz sold her company in a $500 million exit, and is deciding on her next chapter in the wake of parting ways with her brainchild. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 May 2026

Standing here with some of the team who’ve been with me for years, alongside new faces from this next chapter, really hit me. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026

Now, finally opening for its first full season in 2025, the brand new Beachside is ready to jumpstart an exciting new chapter for the premises. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 May 2026

Never a critical favorite, this concluding chapter did a paltry $9 million at the domestic box-office and, most crucially, got the franchise’s lowest-ever exit score – a D! —Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026

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

Phrases Containing chapter

• a chapter of accidents
• chapter and verse
• sub-chapter

Rhymes for chapter

• apter
• captor
• raptor
• adapter
• adaptor
• subchapter

Kids Definition

chapter

noun

chap·​ter ˈchap-tər 

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