A thermal head includes a head substrate having a plurality of heating resistors which generate heat by electrical dissipation, a common electrode connected to one end of each heating resistor, and a plurality of individual electrodes connected to the other ends of the respective heating resistors. The head substrate is disposed on a heat-dissipation plate. A wide-gap stepped portion is disposed in correspondence with at least a location of the head substrate directly below the heating resistors, and increases an interval between an adhesion surface of the head substrate and an adhesion surface of the heat-dissipation plate. A resilient adhesive capable of absorbing thermal strain is interposed between the adhesion surface of the heat-dissipation plate and the adhesion surface of the head substrate in an adhesion plane where the wide-gap stepped portion is disposed.