capacious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Living Large: Synonyms for "Big"
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The Importance of Being Earnest
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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.
The main body of the show, mounted in capacious glass cabinets, is organized around his most notable books.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
Tanizaki’s capacious tale is as intricate as origami—and the Makioka women are memorable, both as subtly drawn individuals and a collective.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
Normally, Colorado case law takes a relatively capacious view of how a crime’s “gravity” should be measured.
From Slate • Dec. 29, 2025
Constitution, may be her best yet, a capacious work that lands at the right moment, like a life buoy, as our ship of state takes on water.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025
The midwife lifted her skirt and dug down into a capacious pocket made in her petticoat.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
