Result
It depends on the style guide. "Without" is a seven-letter preposition. AP, APA, AMA, and Bluebook capitalize prepositions that long, so they write "Without." Chicago and MLA lowercase prepositions at any length, so "without" stays lowercase there unless it is the first or last word.
"Without" by Style Guide
| Style guide | "Without" mid-title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Capitalize | Prepositions of four or more letters are capitalized |
| APA | Capitalize | Words of four or more letters are capitalized |
| Chicago | Lowercase | Prepositions are lowercase at any length |
| MLA | Lowercase | Prepositions are lowercase at any length |
| AMA | Capitalize | Prepositions longer than three letters are capitalized |
| Bluebook | Capitalize | Prepositions longer than four letters are capitalized ("without" has seven) |
The Same Headline in Four Styles
| Style | "a week without social media" |
|---|---|
| AP | A Week Without Social Media |
| APA | A Week Without Social Media |
| Chicago | A Week without Social Media |
| MLA | A Week without Social Media |
| Style | "writing without fear" |
|---|---|
| AP | Writing Without Fear |
| APA | Writing Without Fear |
| Chicago | Writing without Fear |
| MLA | Writing without Fear |
Published Titles Vary
The film Rebel Without a Cause capitalizes "Without," which matches AP and APA. A Chicago-styled citation of the same film would usually keep the official title as published, so you will see both forms in print.
Related Words
"With" and "within" follow the same split, except that Bluebook lowercases four-letter "with."
"Without" 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 "without" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "A week without social media." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "without" be capitalized in a title?
In AP, APA, AMA, and Bluebook, yes. In Chicago and MLA, no, unless it is first or last.
Is "without" capitalized in APA?
Yes. APA capitalizes words of four letters or more.