capacious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of capacious
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin capāc-, the stem of the adjective capax “able to take, take in, contain,” from capere, “to take, seize” + -ious ( def. )
Explanation
When something is really big and holds a lot it is capacious, like a capacious purse that is so big, people mistake it for a piece of luggage. Have you ever seen a Fourth of July hot dog eating contest? As you watch people wolf down 60 or more hot dogs in a matter of minutes, you must be thinking, "Where do they put all that food?" Well, it helps to have a capacious stomach. The suffix -ous adds "full of" to capacity; capacious is literally "full of capacity." If something is capacious, it has plenty of extra room.
Vocabulary lists containing capacious
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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.
Starbucks Korea caused an uproar this year when it launched a "Tank Day" promotion on May 18, touting a new line of capacious tumblers for its coffee beverages.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The central argument of “Democracy Matters,” situated in a single, capacious, airy gallery, is largely unassailable: that our democracy has always been aspirational—a work in progress too often undercut by U.S. laws and practices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
I always contrast Thomas’ capacious ability to feel sorry for himself with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, because she also faced so many hurdles in her own life, right?
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026
Theatergoers of today rarely if ever encounter the workings of a mind so capacious in its interests and abilities as his.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Roscuro, as he surfaced from the bottom of the queens capacious bowl, could not help taking a few appreciative sips.
From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
