The word titular dates back to the 1590s, and may be confusing for some people. We will examine the definitions of titular, where the word came from and some examples of its use in sentences.
Titular may be used to mean someone who holds a certain title but does not wield any authority under that title. The titular head of an organization enjoys the prestige of that office, but does not carry any of the responsibility of the office. For instance, a titular monarch is one who carries on with the pomp of the office, but does not wield any political power. Titular may also mean something or someone pertaining to the title of a movie, book, play, song, etc. The word titular is related to the word title, and is derived from the Latin word titulus, which means title of honor or label.
Examples
Like its predecessor, Odyssey is a side-scrolling game, but this time, the titular character Alto is snowboarding through a desert. (The Economic Times)
Fred Hubbell, who is running to be governor and the titular head of the Democratic Party wants his former rival, state Sen. Nate Boulton, to resign his Senate seat. (The Gazette)
And seemingly energised by Bill Shorten’s lurch to the political left, the organisation wing of the party, whose titular head is Wayne Swan, has swung in behind Mr Shorten and the Labor candidates with great force and enthusiasm. (The Australian Financial Review)
If given, the series would likely be a spinoff of a spinoff (the titular character originated from NBC’s Cheers) with a rebooted concept rather than continuing with the original cast and setting, Deadline reports. (Fortune Magazine)