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capitalize

[kap-i-tl-ahyz]
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verb (used with object), cap·i·tal·ized, cap·i·tal·iz·ing.
  1. to write or print in capital letters letters or with an initial capital letter.
  2. to authorize a certain amount of stocks and bonds in the corporate charter of: to capitalize a corporation.
  3. to issue stock as a dividend, thereby capitalizing retained earnings, or as settlement of an unpaid arrearage of preferred dividends.
  4. Accounting. to set up (expenditures) as business assets in the books of account instead of treating as expense.
  5. to supply with capital.
  6. to estimate the value of (a stock or an enterprise).
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verb (used without object), cap·i·tal·ized, cap·i·tal·iz·ing.
  1. to take advantage of; turn something to one's advantage (often followed by on): to capitalize on one's opportunities.
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Also especially British, cap·i·tal·ise.

Origin of capitalize

An Americanism dating back to 1755–65; capital1 + -ize
Related formscap·i·tal·iz·a·ble, adjectivecap·i·tal·iz·er, nounnon·cap·i·tal·ized, adjectiveun·cap·i·tal·ized, adjective

Synonyms

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7. profit by, exploit, utilize.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for capitalise

Historical Examples

  • James as a temperamental Puritan—one is forced to capitalise the unhappy word!

    Unicorns

    James Huneker

  • So evidence was given as to his income; and the idea was to capitalise it at £8,000.

  • This transaction furnishes a fair illustration of the basis on which this inner group is able to capitalise its financial power.

    Readings in Money and Banking

    Chester Arthur Phillips

  • Dollar credit will be a world necessity if we capitalise the opportunity that peace may bring us.

    The War After the War

    Isaac Frederick Marcosson

  • It is, therefore, up to the American exporter to capitalise the needs of the nation and the good will that it bears toward us.

    The War After the War

    Isaac Frederick Marcosson

British Dictionary definitions for capitalise

capitalize

capitalise

verb (mainly tr)
  1. (intr foll by on) to take advantage (of); profit (by)
  2. to write or print (text) in capital letters or with the first letter of (a word or words) in capital letters
  3. to convert (debt or retained earnings) into capital stock
  4. to authorize (a business enterprise) to issue a specified amount of capital stock
  5. to provide with capital
  6. accounting to treat (expenditures) as assets
    1. to estimate the present value of (a periodical income)
    2. to compute the present value of (a business) from actual or potential earnings
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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

Word Origin and History for capitalise

v.

chiefly British English spelling of capitalize (q.v.). For suffix, see -ize.

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capitalize

v.

"write or print in capital letters," 1764, from capital (n.1) + -ize. Meaning "to convert (assets) to capital" is recorded from 1868. Related: Capitalized; capitalizing.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper