titulary

Titulary is a term used to describe the system of titles associated with a person or institution, especially a ruler or high official. As a noun, it can refer to a person who holds a title; as an adjective, titulary relates to titles or the practice of using them in official or ceremonial contexts.

Etymology and form: the word derives from the Latin titulus, meaning a label or inscription, with the suffix -ary. It conveys both the collection of titles and the conventions for presenting or recognizing a person’s formal designations.

Applications: in monarchic or imperial contexts, titulary denotes the formal sequence of names and epithets by which a ruler is identified and legitimized. In ancient Egypt, for example, the royal titulary is a well-known fivefold set that typically includes the Horus name, Nebty name, Golden Horus name, a throne name (prenomen), and a birth name (nomen); these names were often inscribed together, sometimes in a cartouche, to signify the sovereign’s full royal identity.

Other usage: in modern language, titulary can describe a person who holds a title in name but not in power, such as a titular or titulary officeholder. It is also used to discuss the system of official titles in heraldry, diplomacy, or institutional hierarchies, where the emphasis is on ceremonial designation rather than substantive authority.

See also: titulature, title, epithet, heraldry.