HTML <dt> Tag
The HTML <dt> tag represents
a definition term in a description list (also known as an
"association list" and "definition list").
In a description list, each list item contains two or more
entries; a term (dt) and a
description (dd).
Note that a definition term can be linked to more than one
description. There can also be multiple terms for a single
description (for example, in the case where there are multiple
spellings of a term being defined). In this case, each term
must be enclosed in its own set of dt
tags (there shouldn't be any more than one term within a
single dt element).
Also note that the dt element does
not indicate that its contents are a term being defined, but
this can be indicated using the dfn
element.
Syntax
The <dt> tag is written as <dt></dt>
with the definition term inserted between the start and end
tag.
The tag must be used inside a <dl>
element and must come before the <dd>
element/s that is/are associated with it.
Like this:
Examples
Basic tag usage
Here's an example of a basic description list.
Using dfn to Define a Term
The dt element does not indicate
that its contents are a term being defined. To indicate the
defining instance of a term, use the dfn
element.
Multiple Terms
Here's an example of using multiple <dt>
elements for a single <dd>
element.
Multiple Descriptions
You can have more than one <dd>
element for each <dt> element (any given
term could have multiple definitions). Each <dd>
element provides a separate description.
Nested Lists
You can have nested description lists if your descriptions are more complex. You can also have paragraphs and other elements.
In fact, the <dd>
element can contain "flow content" so you can nest most other
elements inside the <dd>
element ("flow content" refers to most HTML elements that can
appear within the <body>
of an HTML document).
Here's an example of a description list that contains a <p>
element, an ordered (<ol>)
and unordered list (<ul>)
among its definition descriptions.
Attributes
Attributes can be added to an HTML element to provide more information about how the element should appear or behave.
There are 3 kinds of attributes that you can add to your HTML tags: Element-specific, global, and event handler content attributes.
The <dt> element accepts the following
attributes.
Element-Specific Attributes
This table shows the attributes that are specific to the <dt>
tag/element.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| None |
Global Attributes
The following attributes are standard across all HTML5
elements. Therefore, you can use these attributes with the <dt>
tag , as well as with all other HTML tags.
- accesskey
- class
- contenteditable
- contextmenu
- dir
- draggable
- dropzone
- hidden
- id
- inert
- itemid
- itemprop
- itemref
- itemscope
- itemtype
- lang
- spellcheck
- style
- tabindex
- title
- translate
For a full explanation of these attributes, see HTML 5 global attributes.
Event Handler Content Attributes
Event handler content attributes enable you to invoke a script from within your HTML. The script is invoked when a certain "event" occurs. Each event handler content attribute deals with a different event.
Below are the standard HTML5 event handler content attributes.
Again, you can use any of these with the <dt>
element, as well as any other HTML5 element.
- onabort
- oncancel
- onblur
- oncanplay
- oncanplaythrough
- onchange
- onclick
- oncontextmenu
- ondblclick
- ondrag
- ondragend
- ondragenter
- ondragexit
- ondragleave
- ondragover
- ondragstart
- ondrop
- ondurationchange
- onemptied
- onended
- onerror
- onfocus
- onformchange
- onforminput
- oninput
- oninvalid
- onkeydown
- onkeypress
- onkeyup
- onload
- onloadeddata
- onloadedmetadata
- onloadstart
- onmousedown
- onmousemove
- onmouseout
- onmouseover
- onmouseup
- onmousewheel
- onpause
- onplay
- onplaying
- onprogress
- onratechange
- onreadystatechange
- onscroll
- onseeked
- onseeking
- onselect
- onshow
- onstalled
- onsubmit
- onsuspend
- ontimeupdate
- onvolumechange
- onwaiting
For a full explanation of these attributes, see HTML 5 event handler content attributes.
Differences Between HTML 4 & HTML 5
None. Although note that the HTML5 specification refers to the lists as "association lists" and "description lists", whereas HTML 4 referred to them as "definition lists".
To see more detail on the two versions see HTML5 <dt>
Tag and HTML4 <dt>
Tag. Also check out the links to the official
specifications below.
Template
Here's a template for the <dt> tag with
all available attributes for the tag (based on HTML5). These
are grouped into attribute types, each type separated by a
space. In many cases, you will probably only need one or two
(if any) attributes. Simply remove the attributes you don't
need.
Note that the <dt> element does not
actually have any local attributes (i.e. attributes that are
specific to the element), but the following global attributes
and event handlers are available to the element (and all other
HTML elements).
For more information on attributes for this tag, see HTML5 <dt>
Tag and HTML4 <dt>
Tag.
Tag Details
For more details about the <dt> tag, see
HTML5 <dt>
Tag and HTML4 <dt>
Tag.
Specifications
Here are the official specifications for the <dt>
element.
- HTML5 Specification (W3C)
- HTML Living Standard (WHATWG)
- Current W3C Draft (the next version that is currently being worked on)
- HTML 4 (W3C)
What's the Difference?
W3C creates "snapshot" specifications that don't change once defined. So the HTML5 specification won't change once it becomes an official recommendation. WHATWG on the other hand, develops a "living standard" that is updated on a regular basis. In general, you will probably find that the HTML living standard will be more closely aligned to the current W3C draft than to the HTML5 specification.