Result
Yes. "New" is an adjective, and every style guide capitalizes adjectives in a title, however short. "What's New in Search" and "A New Hope" both capitalize it.
"New" by Style Guide
| Style guide | "New" mid-title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Capitalize | Adjectives are major words |
| APA | Capitalize | Adjectives are major words |
| Chicago | Capitalize | Adjectives are major words |
| MLA | Capitalize | Adjectives are major words |
| AMA | Capitalize | Adjectives are major words |
| Bluebook | Capitalize | Adjectives are major words |
Examples in Chicago Style
- What's New in Search This Year
- A New Way to Write Headlines
- Brave New World
- New Tools for Writers
The AP, APA, and AMA three-letter cutoffs cover only prepositions and conjunctions, never adjectives. As part of a proper name ("New York," "New Year's Day"), "New" is capitalized in any context.
For the short list of words that do stay lowercase, see the full list of words that stay lowercase.
"New" in Sentence Case
APA reference lists, many news sites, and most UI text use sentence case instead of title case. There, only the first word and proper nouns get capitals, so "new" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "What's new in search this year." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "new" be capitalized in a title?
Yes. "New" is an adjective, and every style guide capitalizes adjectives in title case.
Is "new" capitalized in APA?
Yes. APA capitalizes major words, including adjectives, regardless of length.