intitulé

Intitulé is a French term used both as an adjective and as a noun. As an adjective, it means named or titled, agreeing with the noun it modifies (for example, un livre intitulé, une œuvre intitulée). As a noun, l’intitulé refers to the title of a work or a designation, as in l’intitulé de l’ouvrage. The word is the past participle of the verb intituler, which means to give a title to something.

Etymology and usage context

Intituler derives from the concept of assigning a title, and its form reflects gender and number agreement (intitulé, intitulée, intitulés, intitulées). The term is common in formal, bibliographic, academic, and journalistic writing. It is often preferred in written French when the emphasis is on the act of naming, while the synonym titrer is also used, though slightly different in nuance; titrer focuses more on the act of providing a title and is frequently found in editorial contexts. In ordinary speech, speakers may simply say “appelé” or “nommé” depending on the sentence.

Examples and usage notes

Examples include: « le roman intitulé Les Misérables » and « l’article intitulé « L’économie et l’environnement ». The feminine form is used with feminine nouns: « une étude intitulée ». The plural forms are « les œuvres intitulées » or « les articles intitulés » depending on gender.

Translations and nuance

In English, intituler is usually translated as “to title” or “to entitle,” and intitled is rarely used; the past participle intituled is not standard in modern English. The adjective “intitulé” corresponds to “titled” or “entitled” in translations, with nuance depending on whether the focus is on naming or on the designation of a work.