capital

¹

[ kap-i-tl ]

noun

1. the city or town that is the official seat of government in a country, state, etc.:

   Tokyo is the capital of Japan.

2. a city regarded as being of special eminence in some field of activity:

   New York is the dance capital of the world.

3. capital letter ( def ).
4. the wealth, whether in money or property, owned or employed in business by an individual, firm, corporation, etc.

   Synonyms: assets, investment, principal, stock

5. an accumulated stock of such wealth.
6. any form of wealth employed or capable of being employed in the production of more wealth.
7. Accounting.
   1. assets remaining after deduction of liabilities; the net worth of a business.
   2. the ownership interest in a business.
8. any source of profit, advantage, power, etc.; an asset or assets (usually used in combination):

   He has the political capital to push through the legislation.

   His indefatigable drive is his greatest capital.

9. capitalists as a group or class ( labor ):

   High taxation has reduced the spending power of capital.

adjective

1. pertaining to financial capital:

   capital stock.

2. principal; highly important:

   This guide offers suggestions of capital interest to travelers.

   Synonyms: first, primary, prime

   Antonyms: minor, trivial

3. chief, especially as being the official seat of government of a country, state, etc.:

   the capital city of France.

4. excellent or first-rate:

   a capital hotel; a capital fellow.

5. indicating a capital letter; uppercase:

   Nouns in German are capitalized, so Schatz is written with a capital “S.”

6. involving the loss of life:

   capital punishment.

7. punishable by death:

   a capital crime;

   a capital offender.

8. fatal; extremely serious:

   a capital error.

capital

²

[ kap-i-tl ]

noun

, Architecture.

1. the distinctively treated upper end of a column, pier, or the like.

capital

¹

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. the upper part of a column or pier that supports the entablature Also calledchapitercap

capital

²

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. 1. the seat of government of a country or other political unit
   2. ( as modifier )

      a capital city

2. material wealth owned by an individual or business enterprise
3. wealth available for or capable of use in the production of further wealth, as by industrial investment
4. make capital of or make capital out of
   to get advantage from
5. sometimes capital the capitalist class or their interests

   capital versus labour

6. accounting
   1. the ownership interests of a business as represented by the excess of assets over liabilities
   2. the nominal value of the authorized or issued shares
   3. ( as modifier )

      capital issues

7. any assets or resources, esp when used to gain profit or advantage
8. 1. a capital letter Abbreviationcap.cap
   2. ( as modifier )

      capital B

9. with a capital letter
   (used to give emphasis to a statement)

   he is mean with a capital M

adjective

1. prenominal law involving or punishable by death

   a capital offence

2. very serious; fatal

   a capital error

3. primary, chief, or principal

   our capital concern is that everyone be fed

4. of, relating to, or designating the large modern majuscule letter used chiefly as the initial letter in personal names and place names and other uniquely specificatory nouns, and often for abbreviations and acronyms Compare small See also upper case
5. excellent; first-rate

   a capital idea

capital

¹

1. In architecture, the top portion of a column.

capital

²

1. Money used to finance the purchase of the means of production, such as machines, or the machines themselves.

Confusables Note

The noun capital1 refers to a city or town that is the seat of government; to a capital letter as opposed to a lowercase letter; and to wealth or resources. The noun Capitol refers primarily to the building in Washington, D.C., in which Congress sits or to similar buildings used by state legislatures.

Notes

The form of the capital often serves to distinguish one style of architecture from another. For example, the Corinthian , Doric , and Ionic styles of Greek architecture all have different capitals.

Other Words From

• capi·tal·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of capital¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; (adjective) from Anglo-French or directly from Latin capitālis “of the head” ( capit-, stem of caput “head” + -ālis adjective suffix; -al ¹ ); (noun) from Medieval Latin capitāle “wealth,” noun use of neuter of the adjective capitālis

Origin of capital²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English capital(e) “head of a pillar,” from Anglo-French capital, capitel, from Late Latin capitellum “capital of a column,” equivalent to capit- (stem of caput ) “head” + -ellum diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of capital¹

C14: from Old French capitel, from Late Latin capitellum, diminutive of caput head

Origin of capital²

C13: from Latin capitālis (adj) concerning the head, chief, from caput head; compare Medieval Latin capitāle (n) wealth, from capitālis (adj)

Idioms and Phrases

see make capital out of .

Synonym Study

The adjectives capital, chief, major, principal apply to a main or leading representative of a kind. Capital may mean larger or more prominent; it may also suggest preeminence or excellence: capital letter, idea, virtue, etc. Chief means leading, highest in office or power: the chief clerk. Major may refer to greatness of importance, number, or quantity: a major operation, the major part of a population. Principal refers to most distinguished, influential, or foremost: principal officer.

Example Sentences

Trump has promised to make the U.S. the "crypto capital of the planet."

From Salon

At a Bitcoin conference in July, Trump said he would make the US "the crypto capital of the planet".

From BBC

In 2022, the prestigious opera company was controversially told to leave the capital or lose its £12m annual Arts Council England subsidy, as part of an attempt to "level up" arts funding.

From BBC

Poisoning Delhi’s Air: India promised to safely burn the capital’s trash and turn it into electricity.

From New York Times

In the meantime, Mr. Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in July, a killing widely attributed to Israel.

From New York Times

Related Words

• central

More About Capital

What does capital mean?

A capital is a city or town that acts as the center of a government, such as a city’s or nation’s government, as in Washington, DC, is the capital of the United States.

More casually, a city or town might be a capital of some special importance. For example, New York City is sometimes called the “business capital of the world,” but Albany is the official state capital of New York.

In business and finance, capital is wealth owned by a person or company. Your capital can include the money you have in the bank, property you own, and any stocks or bonds you’ve purchased.

Capital can also describe something very important or first-rate, as in We had so much fun at the fair, that it was a capital day.

Example: The bill was supported by Congressional representatives from 13 states and the capital.

Where does capital come from?

The first records of the term capital come from around 1175. It ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin capitālis, meaning “wealth.” Capital has several other uses besides describing a nation’s seat of government, most of which stem from wealth and importance, although the capital of a nation tends to have quite a bit of wealth in the sense that it collects taxes.

Your financial capital can be used to spend, provide, and invest in the furthering of one’s wealth, normally in the form of stock market investments or investing into new means of production or projects to improve profits, bringing in more capital. While the terms wealth and capital are synonymous, you’ll find that wealth is used to describe a personal profit, while capital is used to describe funds that are set aside for investing. Capital can also be used in this way to describe something beyond money, such as political power.

In the sense of prominent or important, capital can also describe the most serious crimes, including murder and treason. Someone found guilting of a capital crime would receive capital punishment, that is, the death penalty. Related to this sense, a capital error would be one that is fatal or otherwise extremely serious.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to capital?

• capitalness (noun)
• capitalism (noun)
• capitalize (verb)

What are some synonyms for capital?

• business
• central
• metropolis
• municipality
• investment

What are some words that share a root or word element with capital? 

• cap
• capitol
• capital letter
• capitalistic
• capitalization

What are some words that often get used in discussing capital?

• city
• government
• investment
• letter
• property

What are some words capital may be commonly confused with?

• capitol

How is capital used in real life?

Capital is frequently used to describe a city where a government is centered. It’s also used frequently in the business sense of wealth.

BREAKING: United States vetoes UN resolution that would have required Trump to rescind declaration of Jerusalem as Israel capital.

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 18, 2017

Password must contain capital letter, a number, an emotional arc, a centralized theme, a male lead "struggling w/inner demons" & a strong female character.

— Eden Dranger (@Eden_Eats) July 10, 2020

There are no shortcuts on the path to sound/vibrant relationships. The investment capital required is time. PERIOD.

— Tom Peters (@tom_peters) December 5, 2016

 

Try using capital!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for capital?

A. cash
B. invoice
C. stocks
D. property