HTML <Dt> Tag

Definition

The <dt> tag is used to display the definition term alongside a definition description (<dd>) in a definition list (<dl>).

Example

<dl>
    <dt>HTML</dt>
    <dd>HTML is short for Hypertext Markup Language and is the standard markup 
    language used when creating web pages.</dd>
    <dt>HTML Comments</dt>
    <dd>HTML comments are comments in your source code inserted using a HTML 
    comment Tag.</dd>
</dl>

Usage

• The <dt> can be used after either <dt> or <dd> elements that fall within a <dl> element.
• It can also be used after either <dt> or <dd> elements that fall within a <div> element that is a child of a <dl> element.
• A start tag is required.
• The end tag may be omitted if the <dt> element is immediately followed by another <dd> or <dt> element.
• When used with a <dl> element, the <dt> element does not necessarily represent the term being defined. For this, you should use <dfn>.
• Multiple defined terms (<dt> elements) may be represented by a singular definition description (<dd>). For example:

  <dl>
    <dt lang="en-us"><dfn>Color</dfn></dt>
    <dt lang="en-gb"><dfn>Colour</dfn></dt>
    <dd>The ability to derive a visual sensation arising from an 
    analysis of three different filtered views.</dd>
  </dl>

Attributes

The <dt> element only supports the Global Attributes.

Best Practices

• You may want to wrap each pair of <dt> and <dd> tags in a <div> to aid styling. For example:

  <dl>
  <div class="styleMe">
    <dt>HTML</dt>
    <dd>HTML is short for Hypertext Markup Language and is the standard markup 
    language used when creating web pages.</dd>
  </div>
  <div class="styleMe">
    <dt>HTML Comments</dt>
    <dd>HTML comments are comments in your source code inserted using a HTML 
    comment Tag.</dd>
  </div>
  </dl>

  Try it Yourself
• Try to make the nature of the relationship clear between list items in the group as some screen readers announce each <dl> content as a list.

Specification

• HTML Living Standard Specification
• HTML5 Specification

Browser Support

Desktop

Mobile