Capitol

American  

[kap-i-tl] / ˈkæp ɪ tl /

noun

1. the building in Washington, D.C., used by the Congress of the U.S. for its sessions.

2. (often lowercase) a building occupied by a state legislature.

3. the ancient temple of Jupiter at Rome, on the Capitoline.

4. the Capitoline.

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Capitol British  

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. 1. another name for the Capitoline

   2. the temple on the Capitoline

2. the main building of the US Congress

3. Also called: statehouse.  (sometimes not capital) (in the US) the building housing any state legislature

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Commonly Confused

See capital ¹.

Etymology

Origin of Capitol

An Americanism first recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin capitōlium, the name of the temple of Jupiter on Capitoline hill, Rome, taken to be a derivative of caput “head”; replacing Middle English capitolie, from Old North French

Explanation

When you march on the state capitol to protest a bill before the legislature, you are assembling outside a building that houses the state government. Use the noun capitol when you're talking about the building where a legislature assembles to govern a state or region. In the United States, each state has an individual capitol building, and the federal government has one too — although when you mention "the Capitol" in Washington, D.C., it is capitalized. Speaking of which, be careful not to confuse capitol with its homophone, capital. Capitol comes from the Latin Capitolium, a famous ancient Roman temple.

Example Sentences

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll recently appeared on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers asked how the service is trying to blunt such novel threats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Ianni appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill at a hearing that revealed details about fake claims and stolen doctors’ identities.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, will begin his Capitol Hill testimony at 10 a.m.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

When the moment came to enter the famous Capitol Records building, Jimmy was overwhelmed.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

By then, Barack and I had said good-bye to George and Laura Bush, waving as they lifted off from the Capitol in a Marine helicopter.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama