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capital

[ kap-i-tl ]

/ ˈkæp ɪ tl /

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See synonyms for capital on Thesaurus.com

Definition of capital

noun

the city or town that is the official seat of government in a country, state, etc.: Tokyo is the capital of Japan.

a city regarded as being of special eminence in some field of activity: New York is the dance capital of the world.

capital letter.

the wealth, whether in money or property, owned or employed in business by an individual, firm, corporation, etc.

an accumulated stock of such wealth.

any form of wealth employed or capable of being employed in the production of more wealth.

Accounting.

assets remaining after deduction of liabilities; the net worth of a business.
the ownership interest in a business.

any source of profit, advantage, power, etc.; an asset or assets (usually used in combination): He has the political capital to push through the legislation.His indefatigable drive is his greatest capital.

capitalists as a group or class (distinguished from labor): High taxation has reduced the spending power of capital.

adjective

pertaining to financial capital: capital stock.

principal; highly important: This guide offers suggestions of capital interest to travelers.

chief, especially as being the official seat of government of a country, state, etc.: the capital city of France.

excellent or first-rate: a capital hotel; a capital fellow.

indicating a capital letter; uppercase: Nouns in German are capitalized, so Schatz is written with a capital “S.”

involving the loss of life: capital punishment.

punishable by death: a capital crime;a capital offender.

fatal; extremely serious: a capital error.

OTHER WORDS FOR capital

4 principal, investment, assets, stock.

11 prime, primary, first.

See synonyms for capital on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR capital

11 trivial, minor.

See antonyms for capital on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

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Origin of capital

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; (adjective) from Anglo-French or directly from Latin capitālis “of the head” (capit-, stem of caput “head” + -ālis adjective suffix; see -al¹); (noun) from Medieval Latin capitāle “wealth,” noun use of neuter of the adjective capitālis

synonym study for capital

11. The adjectives capital, chief, major, principal apply to a main or leading representative of a kind. Capital may mean larger or more prominent; it may also suggest preeminence or excellence: capital letter, idea, virtue, etc. Chief means leading, highest in office or power: the chief clerk. Major may refer to greatness of importance, number, or quantity: a major operation, the major part of a population. Principal refers to most distinguished, influential, or foremost: principal officer.

words often confused with capital

The noun capital1 refers to a city or town that is the seat of government; to a capital letter as opposed to a lowercase letter; and to wealth or resources. The noun Capitol refers primarily to the building in Washington, D.C., in which Congress sits or to similar buildings used by state legislatures.

OTHER WORDS FROM capital

cap·i·tal·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH capital

capital , Capitol (see confusables note at the current entry)

Words nearby capital

capillatus, capillus, cap in hand, capistration, capita, capital, capital account, capital allowance, capital asset, capital assets, capital budget

Other definitions for capital (2 of 2)

capital²

[ kap-i-tl ]

/ ˈkæp ɪ tl /

noun Architecture.

the distinctively treated upper end of a column, pier, or the like.

Origin of capital

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English capital(e) “head of a pillar,” from Anglo-French capital, capitel, from Late Latin capitellum “capital of a column,” equivalent to capit- (stem of caput ) “head” + -ellum diminutive suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

MORE ABOUT CAPITAL

What does capital mean?

A capital is a city or town that acts as the center of a government, such as a city’s or nation’s government, as in Washington, DC, is the capital of the United States.

More casually, a city or town might be a capital of some special importance. For example, New York City is sometimes called the “business capital of the world,” but Albany is the official state capital of New York.

In business and finance, capital is wealth owned by a person or company. Your capital can include the money you have in the bank, property you own, and any stocks or bonds you’ve purchased.

Capital can also describe something very important or first-rate, as in We had so much fun at the fair, that it was a capital day.

Example: The bill was supported by Congressional representatives from 13 states and the capital.

Where does capital come from?

The first records of the term capital come from around 1175. It ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin capitālis, meaning “wealth.” Capital has several other uses besides describing a nation’s seat of government, most of which stem from wealth and importance, although the capital of a nation tends to have quite a bit of wealth in the sense that it collects taxes.

Your financial capital can be used to spend, provide, and invest in the furthering of one’s wealth, normally in the form of stock market investments or investing into new means of production or projects to improve profits, bringing in more capital. While the terms wealth and capital are synonymous, you’ll find that wealth is used to describe a personal profit, while capital is used to describe funds that are set aside for investing. Capital can also be used in this way to describe something beyond money, such as political power.

In the sense of prominent or important, capital can also describe the most serious crimes, including murder and treason. Someone found guilting of a capital crime would receive capital punishment, that is, the death penalty. Related to this sense, a capital error would be one that is fatal or otherwise extremely serious.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to capital?

capitalness (noun)
capitalism (noun)
capitalize (verb)

What are some synonyms for capital?

What are some words that share a root or word element with capital?

What are some words that often get used in discussing capital?

What are some words capital may be commonly confused with?

capitol

How is capital used in real life?

Capital is frequently used to describe a city where a government is centered. It’s also used frequently in the business sense of wealth.

BREAKING: United States vetoes UN resolution that would have required Trump to rescind declaration of Jerusalem as Israel capital.

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 18, 2017

Password must contain capital letter, a number, an emotional arc, a centralized theme, a male lead "struggling w/inner demons" & a strong female character.

— Eden Dranger (@Eden_Eats) July 10, 2020

There are no shortcuts on the path to sound/vibrant relationships. The investment capital required is time. PERIOD.

— Tom Peters (@tom_peters) December 5, 2016

Try using capital!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for capital?

A. cash
B. invoice
C. stocks
D. property

How to use capital in a sentence

Amazon on Thursday announced the first companies to receive money from a $2 billion venture capital fund it formed to help combat climate change.
Podcast: Amazon exec on the company's Climate Pledge Fund|Dan Primack|September 17, 2020|Axios
That’s been the pattern for other recent high-profile, venture-capital backed IPOs.
Investors in Snowflake’s IPO should prepare for a second-day slump|Oliver Staley|September 17, 2020|Quartz
This capital has helped to de-risk the fund’s investments, allowing it the flexibility to invest in firms that banks might turn away.
Opportunity Zones haven’t fully reached their potential, but don’t write them off yet|jakemeth|September 16, 2020|Fortune
So the 11% drop in the valuation would leave investors with a 1% annual capital gain.
Will tech stocks stumble or slide? What the fundamentals tell us|Shawn Tully|September 16, 2020|Fortune

Those arrangements offer businesses more flexibility with their capital.
‘Square is a beast’|Jeff|September 16, 2020|Fortune
Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The mistletoe must have been hanging right across the aisle on Capital Hill.
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The second major split between the capital and the court occurred over oral care.
The French Court’s Royal Ban on Smiles|William O’Connor|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ah, gay Paree—the French capital has practically announced its own LGBT friendliness since the Belle Époque.
The Ultimate LGBT Travel Bucket List||December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the capital city is a veritable utopia of acceptance and integration.
The Ultimate LGBT Travel Bucket List||December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Capital, capital," his lordship would remark with great alacrity, when there was no other way of escape.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
When we speak against one capital vice, we ought to speak against its opposite; the middle betwixt both is the point for virtue.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
The moon rose on a terrified mob trudging or riding the forty miles of road between Meerut and the Mogul capital.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
It is the quiet chef lieu of the Allier, and was once the capital of the Bourbonnais.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
All possibility of a general increase of wages depended on the relation of available capital to the numbers of the working men.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for capital (1 of 2)

capital¹

/ (ˈkæpɪtəl) /

noun

the seat of government of a country or other political unit
(as modifier)a capital city

material wealth owned by an individual or business enterprise

wealth available for or capable of use in the production of further wealth, as by industrial investment

make capital of or make capital out of to get advantage from

(sometimes capital) the capitalist class or their interestscapital versus labour

accounting

the ownership interests of a business as represented by the excess of assets over liabilities
the nominal value of the authorized or issued shares
(as modifier)capital issues

any assets or resources, esp when used to gain profit or advantage

a capital letterAbbreviation: cap., cap
(as modifier)capital B

with a capital letter (used to give emphasis to a statement)he is mean with a capital M

adjective

(prenominal) law involving or punishable by deatha capital offence

very serious; fatala capital error

primary, chief, or principalour capital concern is that everyone be fed

of, relating to, or designating the large modern majuscule letter used chiefly as the initial letter in personal names and place names and other uniquely specificatory nouns, and often for abbreviations and acronymsCompare small (def. 9) See also upper case

mainly British excellent; first-ratea capital idea

Word Origin for capital

C13: from Latin capitālis (adj) concerning the head, chief, from caput head; compare Medieval Latin capitāle (n) wealth, from capitālis (adj)

British Dictionary definitions for capital (2 of 2)

capital²

/ (ˈkæpɪtəl) /

noun

the upper part of a column or pier that supports the entablatureAlso called: chapiter, cap

Word Origin for capital

C14: from Old French capitel, from Late Latin capitellum, diminutive of caput head

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for capital (1 of 2)

capital

In architecture, the top portion of a column.

notes for capital

The form of the capital often serves to distinguish one style of architecture from another. For example, the Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic styles of Greek architecture all have different capitals.

Cultural definitions for capital (2 of 2)

capital

Money used to finance the purchase of the means of production, such as machines, or the machines themselves.

Other Idioms and Phrases with capital

capital

see make capital out of.

capital

Definition of capital

OTHER WORDS FOR capital

OPPOSITES FOR capital

Origin of capital

synonym study for capital

words often confused with capital

OTHER WORDS FROM capital

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH capital

Words nearby capital

Other definitions for capital (2 of 2)

Origin of capital

MORE ABOUT CAPITAL

What does capital mean?

Where does capital come from?

Did you know … ?

How is capital used in real life?

Try using capital!

Words related to capital

How to use capital in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for capital (1 of 2)

Word Origin for capital

British Dictionary definitions for capital (2 of 2)

Word Origin for capital

Cultural definitions for capital (1 of 2)

notes for capital

Cultural definitions for capital (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with capital