THE MEANING OF LOST

A title is the name of an artistic work. A title is a word from Latin, for  ‘inscription, title.’ The word originally denoted a placard or inscription placed on an object, giving information about it, hence a descriptive heading in a book or other composition.

The title to the series was called LOST.

The word "lost" is a past and past participle of lose.

adjective
1 unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts
• unable to be found
• (of a person) very confused or insecure or in great difficulties
2 denoting something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered
• (of time or an opportunity) not used advantageously; wasted
• having perished or been destroyed
3 (of a game or contest) in which a defeat has been sustained

verb
1. be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something)
• cause (someone) to fail to gain or retain (something)
• be deprived of (a close relative or friend) through their death or as a result of the breaking off of a relationship
• (of a pregnant woman) miscarry (a baby) or suffer the death of (a baby) during childbirth.
• (be lost) be destroyed or killed, esp. through accident or as a result of military action
• decrease in (body weight); undergo a reduction of (a specified amount of weight)
• waste or fail to take advantage of (time or an opportunity)
• (of a watch or clock) become slow by (a specified amount of time)
• (lose it) informal lose control of one's temper or emotions:

2 become unable to find (something or someone)
• cease or become unable to follow (the right route)
• evade or shake off (a pursuer):
• informal get rid of (an undesirable person or thing)
• informal cause (someone) to be unable to follow an argument or explanation
• (lose oneself in/be lost in) be or become deeply absorbed in (something)

3 fail to win (a game or contest)
• cause (someone) to fail to win (a game or contest)

4 earn less (money) than one is spending or has spent.

The origin of the word "lost" is  Old English  for "perish, destroy," also "become unable to find."

One could go through each definition of the word "lost" and tie it directly to an event depicted in the show:

The 815ers did not know where they landed; the island was hidden so rescuers could not find them.
The survivors were very insecure in their own being and having a great difficulty with their situation.
Many had their lives taken away from them. They were played like pawns in various games devised by the Others and Widmore. Many were deprived of their freedom. Many were deprived of an emotional bond. Some tried to gain respect and leadership, but failed. Some had relationships broken a part by jealousy or rage. Pregnant women on the island died in their third term. Many people were killed during military actions taken on the island. Faraday's experiment showed that time was slowed on the island. Ben lost his control and his emotions when he finally met his master, Jacob. Jack could never find his father on the island. Desmond could not find the right route off the island in his sailboat. The survivors spent many days running through the jungle being pursued by the smoke monster or the Others. Ben deposed of his father and Dharma folks as being unworthy of the island's unique bounty. Many characters could not follow the logic, argument or explanations given to them as strange events were happening to them. Many characters became fully immersed in their own ego, power and control. Locke became obsessed with the Hatch and the computer input of the Numbers.  The grand island contest appears to be a game between Jacob and MIB. If there was a bankruptcy in the show, it was the moral bankruptcy that many characters showed their fellow man.

LOST followed the dictionary definition almost like a checklist to build the story lines.

So does LOST really mean its origin of "perish, destroy and unable to find (something)?"