Capitol
Americannoun
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the building in Washington, D.C., used by the Congress of the U.S. for its sessions.
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(often lowercase) a building occupied by a state legislature.
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the ancient temple of Jupiter at Rome, on the Capitoline.
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the Capitoline.
noun
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another name for the Capitoline
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the temple on the Capitoline
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the main building of the US Congress
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Also called: statehouse. (sometimes not capital) (in the US) the building housing any state legislature
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.
Vocabulary lists containing capitol
Some Tricky Homonyms
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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President Biden's Inaugural Speech (January 2021)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As of Friday afternoon, he had not commented on the developments in Capitol Hill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
If El-Sayed makes it to Capitol Hill, the win will represent, by far, Piker’s most impressive bounty yet.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
Recently, you joined healthcare workers along with your mom at a rally on Capitol Hill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The ugly incident prompted a monthslong campaign by European leaders and Republicans on Capitol Hill—including Graham—to patch things up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Outside the Capitol building, crews of workers set up platforms and chairs for the inauguration ceremony the next day.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
