Capitalization Guidelines
AP Stylebook guidelines for capitalization are specific, but fairly simple. In general, the rule is to avoid unnecessary capitals, using a capital letter only if it can be justified by one of the AP Stylebook principles. If there is no listing in the stylebook, please consult Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary at merriam-webster.com; use lowercase if the dictionary lists it as an acceptable form for the sense in which the word is being used.
Below are the basic AP Stylebook capitalization rules.
COMPOSITION TITLES
These guidelines apply to the titles of books, movies, plays, poems, albums, songs, operas, radio and television programs, lectures, speeches, and works of art.
Capitalize all words in a title except articles (a, an, the); prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.); and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, etc.) unless any of those start or end the title.
More detail:
Capitalize prepositions of four or more letters (above, after, down, inside, over, with, etc.) and conjunctions of four or more letters (because, while, since, though, etc.).
Capitalize both parts of a phrasal verb: “What To Look For in a Mate”; “Turn Off the Lights in Silence.” But: “A Life of Eating Chocolate for Stamina”; “Living With Both Feet off the Ground.” (Note the different uses of for and off, and thus the different capitalization, in those examples.)
Capitalize to in infinitives: “What I Want To Be When I Grow Up.”
PROFESSIONAL/JOB TITLES
Capitalize formal titles when used immediately before a name. Lowercase formal titles when used alone or in constructions that set them off from a name by commas. Use lowercase at all times for terms that are job descriptions rather than formal titles.
The basic guidelines are as follows:
• Lowercase: Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name: The president issued a statement. The pope gave his blessing. Lowercase and spell out titles in constructions that set them off from a name by commas: Ms. Johnson, senior managing director, will join us at the meeting. The senior managing director, Ms. Johnson, will join us at the meeting.
• Formal titles: Capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names: President John Smith, Dean Jane Miller, Vice Presidents John Jones and William Brown.
• Abbreviated titles: The following formal titles are capitalized and abbreviated as shown when used before a name: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., and Sen.
• Past and future titles: A formal title that an individual formerly held, is about to hold, or holds temporarily is capitalized if used before the person’s name. But do not capitalize the qualifying word: former President John Smith, Attorney General-designate James Davis, acting Mayor Kim Green.
• Long titles: Separate a long title from a name by a construction that requires a comma: John Smith, the undersecretary for economic affairs, spoke.
PROPER NOUNS
Capitalize nouns that constitute the unique identification for a specific person, place, or thing: John, Mary, Boston, England.
PROPER NAMES
Capitalize common nouns such as party, river, street, and west when they are an integral part of the full name for a person, place, or thing: Democratic Party, Republican Party, Mississippi River, Fleet Street. Lowercase these common nouns when they stand alone in subsequent references: the party, the river, the street. Lowercase the common noun elements of names in plural uses: the Democratic and Republican parties, Main and State streets, lakes Erie and Ontario.
DERIVATIVES
Capitalize words that are derived from a proper noun and still depend on it for their meaning: American, Christian, Christianity, English, French, Marxism, Shakespearean. Lowercase words that are derived from a proper noun but no longer depend on it for their meaning: french fries, herculean, malapropism, pasteurize, quixotic, venetian blind.
DIRECTIONS AND REGIONS
In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass directions; capitalize these words when they designate regions.
DESIGNATED DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS
Capitalize all words in the name of a designated or branded day, week, month, or other time period: Black History Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, World Religion Day, International Women’s Day. Lowercase the time period in informal descriptions: Memorial Day weekend, Christmas week.
HOFSTRA-SPECIFIC CAPITALIZATION GUIDELINES
• Capitalize Board of Trustees when referring to the Hofstra University Board of Trustees.
• Capitalize all parts of the department name (e.g., Department of English, Physics and Astronomy Department).
• Capitalize the "U" in the University as a shortened form of Hofstra University.
• Capitalize North Campus and South Campus.
• Capitalize and include The as part of the name of The Helene Fortunoff Theater, The Hofstra Chronicle, The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, and The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.