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

That same month, she pushed to erect a statue of him at the Capitol building in San Juan alongside other presidents who’ve visited the island.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

The expectation on Capitol Hill was that the 60-day deadline expires tomorrow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

In the historic setting of the Capitol building, the King warned that the two nations had to stand together in this "more volatile, more dangerous" era.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

After all, when Queen Elizabeth II came to Capitol Hill in 1991, two dozen members boycotted, mostly in protest of the British presence in Northern Ireland.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

The reporters, the camera crews, even Effie Trinket, my old escort, will have made their way to District 12 from the Capitol.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins