capitalization: titles of office or rank

(A similar topic is discussed in French in the article titres de fonctions.)

Follow the guidelines below.

DO capitalize

Capitalize titles in the following situations.

• Titles before a name (whether the title is civil, military, religious or professional, or a title of nobility):
  • Archbishop Damphousse
  • Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland
  • General Stanley
  • Lord Carrington
  • Pope Francis
  • President Obama
  • Prime Minister Trudeau
  • Professor Layton
  • King Charles III
• Titles following and placed in apposition to a personal name (except those denoting professions):
  • Clare Smith, Director of Public Affairs
  • Ron Irwin, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
• BUT
  • Jane Tanaka, professor of physics
• Titles referring to a specific person and used as a substitute for that person’s name:
  • the President of the Treasury Board
  • the Chief, Public Affairs Section
  • the Leader of the Opposition
  • According to the Assistant Deputy Minister, this is a unique agreement.
  • They discussed the matter with the Colonel.
  • The Archbishop made no further comment.
• Abbreviated titles in the plural:
  • We met Profs. Sami and Nicolet.
• Titles of respect and forms of address (even when used in the plural):
  • Your Honour
  • Your Grace
  • Your Excellencies
  • Mr. Chairman
  • Their Royal Highnesses
  • Her Worship
  • His Holiness
  • Her Majesty

DO NOT capitalize

Do not capitalize titles in the following situations.

• Spelled-out titles in the plural or titles preceded by an indefinite article:
  • the lieutenant-governors of Quebec and Ontario
  • a member of Parliament
• BUT
  • the Member for Winnipeg North Centre
    [preceded by the definite article and referring to a specific person]
• Titles modified by a possessive or other type of adjective, or by an indefinite article:
  • their colonel
  • the former ambassador
  • the Canadian prime minister
  • a member of Parliament
• Occupational titles that are used descriptively and that are followed by a complete personal name:
  • manager Cito Gaston
  • production superintendent Anna Chang
  • technical writer John Lipon

Note: Occupational titles are often capitalized in a company’s own documents.

• Terms that refer to a role rather than a person:
  • As prime minister [that is, while occupying a certain position], Lester Pearson introduced the new Canadian flag.
  • The production manager [any person who occupies that position] assigns schedules.
• Adjectives derived from titles:
  • episcopal
  • papal
  • ministerial correspondence
  • presidential prerogative