Term | Capitalize? | cite |
---|---|---|
God | yes | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
the Lord | yes | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
prophet | no | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
Heaven | yes | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
Hell | yes | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
he (God) | no | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
biblical | no | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
angel | no | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
virgin birth | no | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
original sin | no | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
transubstantiation | no | MOS:DOCTCAPS |
Adoration of the Shepherds | yes | proper noun |
Passionist nuns | no | common usage |
circle of Hell | no | common usage |
Positions, offices, and occupational titles
editOffices, titles, and positions such as president, king, emperor, grand duke, lord mayor, pope, bishop, abbot, prime minister, leader of the opposition, chief financial officer, and executive director are common nouns and therefore should be in lower case when used generically: Mitterrand was the French president or There were many presidents at the meeting. They are capitalized only in the following cases:
- When followed by a person's name to form a title, i.e., when they can be considered to have become part of the name: President Nixon, not president Nixon; Pope John XXIII, not pope John XXIII.
- When a title is used to refer to a specific person as a substitute for their name during their time in office, e.g., the King, not the king (referring to Charles III); the Pope, not the pope (referring to Francis).
- When a formal title for a specific entity (or conventional translation thereof) is addressed as a title or position in and of itself, is not plural, is not preceded by a modifier (including a definite or indefinite article), and is not a reworded description:
Unmodified, denoting a title | Modified or reworded, denoting a description |
---|---|
Richard Nixon was President of the United States. |
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Theresa May became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2016. |
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Louis XVI became King of France and Navarre in 1774, later styled King of the French (1791–1792). |
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Even when used with a name, capitalization is not required for commercial and informal titles: OtagoSoft vice-president Chris Henare; team co-captain Chan.