noun

• 1A main division of a book, typically with a number or title.

  ‘we will deal with this in chapter eleven’

  More example sentences

  • ‘If the story evolves into a book, the chapters will have titles.’
  • ‘Rather than building up the connection behind the idea in the title, the ten chapters in this book dwell with secondary hypotheses whose arguments are haphazardly repeated.’
  • ‘The three main chapters of the book were first given in 2000 as part of a Columbia University lecture series on American culture.’
  • ‘Although this is a worthy project, one is immediately challenged by the tenor of the writing and even the titles of key chapters in the book.’
  • ‘The book's eleven chapters are divided into three thematic parts.’
  • ‘Remember all those articles, journals, chapters, and books you meant to read about knowledge management?’
  • ‘She instructed us to read the first five chapters in our text book and answer all accompanying problems.’
  • ‘Vernon assigned some very easy homework from the first chapter of our text book, and then we were dismissed.’
  • ‘The book consists of eleven chapters by a variety of authors.’
  • ‘The book contains 11 chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, and an extensive suggested reading list.’
  • ‘The chapter reads more like a stand alone essay than a chapter in a book.’
  • ‘Indeed, an entire chapter in the book was titled The Theory of Evolution.’
  • ‘The last chapter of the book, titled ‘Personal Morality,’ is brief but important.’
  • ‘I found it in amongst the pages of the manuscript, between two chapters like a book mark.’
  • ‘Presented in a series of chapters that read like independent articles, rather than unified chapters, the book can feel disjointed at times.’
  • ‘Three chapters of this book directly address diversity, defined here as more than just race; diversity means individuality.’
  • ‘In his hunger to possess books he admired, one friend copied down, sentence by sentence into a notebook, entire chapters from a favourite book.’
  • ‘By way of an epilogue, the last chapter of the book discusses recent innovations in music.’
  • ‘The final six chapters deal with more technical issues.’
  • ‘If you're pressed for time, read the short first chapter.’

  Synonyms

  section, division, part, portion, segment, component, bit

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• 2A period of time or an episode in a person's life, a nation's history, etc.

  ‘a tragic chapter in European history’

  More example sentences

  • ‘They might be able to consign the civil war to a tragic chapter of history.’
  • ‘The story of Mexican lynching is not a footnote in history but rather a critical chapter in the history of Anglo western expansion and conquest.’
  • ‘Last year marked a new chapter in the history of information security.’
  • ‘The English rushed down from the ridge, losing their position and discipline. The Normans slaughtered them and so began one of the darkest chapters in English history.’
  • ‘They were truly ahead of their time, and one of the saddest chapters in wrestling history was the day they closed their doors forever.’
  • ‘My taxi driver shouted these stories over his shoulder as if they were history, sad chapters from Peru's violent past.’
  • ‘The years spent in Missouri were one of the bitterest chapters in Mormon history.’
  • ‘One of the saddest chapters in the history of industrial Rochdale has taken place with the assets of an engineering company going under the auctioneer's hammer.’
  • ‘This has the earmarks of the sort of backroom politicking that has marked some of the darkest chapters in American history.’
  • ‘‘This helps us fill in the missing chapters of Chippenham's history,’ he said.’
  • ‘What begins as a personal odyssey becomes a fascinating exploration of one of the darkest chapters in the history of modern Ireland.’
  • ‘A dawn flag-lowering ceremony, as the sun broke through on Tuesday morning, formally brought a chapter in Irish military history to a close.’
  • ‘Now a chapter of history is closing and for very many children, teachers and other staff, memories come flooding back, some happy and some, of course, not so happy.’
  • ‘As such, this marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the school and signals a significant increase in the resources and staffing for physical education and sport.’
  • ‘It was a nightmarish experience that still haunts us, a hideous chapter in our history that refuses to be forgotten.’
  • ‘There is a desire to close what was a dark chapter in history.’
  • ‘The loss of these collections will close a chapter in the book of human enquiry forever.’
  • ‘The United States saw the conflict as a chapter of the Cold War.’
  • ‘"It's another grubby chapter in a rather sinister saga, " added Ms Doyle.’
  • ‘He decided to focus his energy more specifically within the black community during the final chapter of his life.’

  Synonyms

  period, time, phase, page, stage, episode, epoch, era

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  1. 2.1A series or sequence.
     ‘the latest episode in a chapter of problems’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Yesterday brought us a chapter of disasters.’
     • ‘It is the latest in a chapter of accidents since the defending champions arrived in France over a month ago.’
     • ‘‘It’s been a chapter of adventures,’ he said.’

• 3The governing body of a religious community, especially a cathedral or a knightly order.

  ‘land granted by the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral’

  More example sentences

  • ‘One of the more controversial parts of the new church order is the decision to give Parish Councils, not the cathedral chapters, the power to hire clergy.’
  • ‘Most northern chapters of the chivalric orders had salles like this one, and the weather raging outside the thick walls reminded Charrow of why that was.’
  • ‘In 1304 he was present at the general chapter of the Dominican order held at Toulouse.’
  • ‘In 1176 Pope Alexander III resolved the dispute by declaring the cities to be joint-sees and ordering the chapters to hold elections together.’
  • ‘Banning admission fees would mean introducing legislation to prohibit charging by independent deans and chapters of cathedrals.’

  Synonyms

  governing body, council, assembly, convocation, convention, synod, consistory

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• 4North American A local branch of a society.

  ‘the local chapter of the American Cancer Society’

  More example sentences

  • ‘My mother covered him with blankets, and a neighbor phoned the local chapter of the Humane Society for help.’
  • ‘Many of our California Delegates represent our local chapters, and work with the state association to give us a greater presence in these elections.’
  • ‘He serves as president of the local chapter of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and he is a licensed commercial pilot.’
  • ‘If you live in a big city, you really ought to look into organizing a chapter of your own local bloggers.’
  • ‘Talk with someone from your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or a similar organization.’
  • ‘Local chapters of these organizations appeared throughout the country and even penetrated deeply into many rural areas.’
  • ‘For every kilometer I walked, I raised money for our local chapter of the American Diabetes Society.’
  • ‘Local youth and college chapters plan to go back into their communities and hold additional town hall meetings on Social Security.’
  • ‘Encourage students to form their own departmental organizations, like a physics club or a chapter of the Society of Physics Students.’
  • ‘The following are some tips from that seminar which may help your student chapter better use their local associations.’
  • ‘This also is the perfect time of year to recruit new members for your local association or collegiate chapter.’
  • ‘This might be a good time to call your local chapter with a donation or even an offer to volunteer.’
  • ‘This year he's president of the local chapter, which has about 200 members.’
  • ‘The headquarters staff also will handle fund-raising mass mailings, with chapters handling more targeted local mailings.’
  • ‘Organizations devoted to helping people deal with this problem have about 6,000 local chapters altogether.’
  • ‘The first relationship state coordinators develop is with the chairs of the chapters ' legislative committees in their states.’
  • ‘Social clubs, association chapters and labor unions have been in decline for decades.’
  • ‘On occasion, the Association has suffered discredit because of the actions or communications of chapters and conferences.’
  • ‘Their primary purpose was to network and enhance communications between state chapters.’
  • ‘Start by deciding how to tell the community about your chapter's activities.’

  Synonyms

  branch, division, subdivision, section, department, bureau, agency, lodge, wing, arm, offshoot, subsidiary, satellite

  View synonyms