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Is “New Year’s Resolution” Capitalized

Date: December 16, 2024
Author Name: Atkia Sadia
Is “New Year’s Resolution” Capitalized

Is there Capitalization in New Year’s Resolution?

The phrase new year’s resolution is capitalized to mean the widely observed practice of making new changes in the new year. Here is a guide to when and why you should capitalize this letter, wtih the second part of Michael Shields’ series published on Umberto Eco’s illiterature blog.

 

When to Capitalize New Year’s Resolution

Is “New Year’s Resolution” Capitalized - New Year’s Resolution

1. As a Proper Noun

When it comes to the public holidays, such as New Year, the name New Year’s Resolution is capitalized where it means the tradition associated with the New Year.

  • Example: >Regular exercising is one of my goals in this New Year: New Year’s Resolution.
  • Why: ”New Year” as the name of the event, is a proper noun as it refers to the specific event – the holiday. As the word is part of the full title phrase, ‘Resolution’ is written with a capital R since it directly relates to the topic under discussion.

 

2. In Titles and Headlines

Always capitalize “New Year’s Resolution” in titles or headlines as per title case rules:

  • Example: “Top 10 New Year’s Resolution for the Year 2025.”
  • Why: In title case, all words that are important in a sentence are capitalized including the noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, and adjective.

 

When not to Capitalize “New Year’s Resolution”

Is “New Year’s Resolution” Capitalized - When Not to Capitalize _New Year’s Resolution

1. General Purpose with no Promised Meaning

Thus, if the phrase is used with a general reference, its beginning might not be capitalized, however, this is rather untypical.

  • Example: “My next new year’s resolution is to eat healthy foods.”
  • Why: If “new year’s” is not counting a specific day as part of the holiday season and resolution is not part of the popular tradition, then it is spelled with lowercase letter.

 

2. Casual Writing

In casual writing, capital letters could not even be required and lower case letters can be used.

  • Example: One of the effective tactics of staying motivated is making new year’s resolutions.

 

Style Tips

  • Formal and Published Writing: The terms should be capitalized when writing in formal settings or when referring to the tradition associated with the New Year’s Day.
  • Informal Writing: Lower case may be used where they are informal or general.

 

Conclusion

In most situations one should capitalize the term “New Year’s Resolution,” especially when working with the defined concept associated with the holiday. Use lowercase appropriately only when the text is most definitely informal or the case is not crucial. If you are unsure, there is always the bigger problem of capitalization to make both ends meet when writing.

 

ADDITIONAL READING

Where Did New Year’s Resolutions Come From

Personal Goals for Students to Excel Academically

How to Write a New Year Resolution Properly

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