capital

¹ American  

[kap-i-tl] / ˈkæp ɪ tl /

noun

1. 

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

   Tokyo is the capital of Japan.

2. a city regarded as being of special eminence in some field of activity.

   New York is the dance capital of the world.

3. capital letter.

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

   Synonyms:

   stock, assets, investment, principal

5. an accumulated stock of such wealth.

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

7. Accounting.

   1. assets remaining after deduction of liabilities; the net worth of a business.

   2. the ownership interest in a business.

8. 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.

9. capitalists as a group or class (distinguished from labor).

   High taxation has reduced the spending power of capital.

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adjective

1. pertaining to financial capital.

   capital stock.

2. principal; highly important.

   This guide offers suggestions of capital interest to travelers.

   Synonyms:

   first, primary, prime

   Antonyms:

   minor, trivial

3. chief, especially as being the official seat of government of a country, state, etc..

   the capital city of France.

4. excellent or first-rate.

   a capital hotel; a capital fellow.

5. indicating a capital letter; uppercase.

   Nouns in German are capitalized, so Schatz is written with a capital “S.”

6. involving the loss of life.

   capital punishment.

7. punishable by death.

   a capital crime;

   a capital offender.

8. fatal; extremely serious.

   a capital error.

capital ² American  

[kap-i-tl] / ˈkæp ɪ tl /

noun

Architecture.

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

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capital ¹ British  

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. 1. the seat of government of a country or other political unit

   2. ( as modifier )

      a capital city

2. material wealth owned by an individual or business enterprise

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

4. to get advantage from

5. (sometimes capital) the capitalist class or their interests

   capital versus labour

6. accounting

   1. the ownership interests of a business as represented by the excess of assets over liabilities

   2. the nominal value of the authorized or issued shares

   3. ( as modifier )

      capital issues

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

8. 1. Abbreviation: cap., cap. a capital letter

   2. ( as modifier )

      capital B

9. (used to give emphasis to a statement)

   he is mean with a capital M

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adjective

1. (prenominal) law involving or punishable by death

   a capital offence

2. very serious; fatal

   a capital error

3. primary, chief, or principal

   our capital concern is that everyone be fed

4. 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 acronyms Compare small See also upper case

5. excellent; first-rate

   a capital idea

capital ² British  

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. Also called: chapiter, cap. the upper part of a column or pier that supports the entablature

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capital ¹ Cultural  

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

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capital ² Cultural  

1. In architecture, the top portion of a column.

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capital Idioms  

1. see make capital out of.

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Usage

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.

Commonly Confused

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.

Synonym Usage

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.

Discover More

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.

Other Word Forms

• capitalness
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of capital¹

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 -al ¹); (noun) from Medieval Latin capitāle “wealth,” noun use of neuter of the adjective capitālis

Origin of capital²

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

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Explanation

Capital is the total amount of money (and things with a monetary value, like houses or cars) that a person or institution owns. A bank's capital might be in the billions, while your capital barely makes it into the hundreds. Capital comes from the Latin capitalis, or "head," which some would argue is the command center of your body. Because your head is so important, capital, as a noun and as an adjective, has come to refer to the primary or chief example of something — whether it's money, a letter, a crime, or the national or state seat of a government. It can be easily confused with the American word capitol, which refers to the buildings where government activities take place.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capital

The uncertainty “helps explain why traders are not willing to assign a higher multiple to the stock,” Jake Behan, the head of capital markets at Direxion, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

The pope is scheduled to give an address Friday at Independence Square here in the capital, Montevideo—an event the Vatican hopes will strengthen the Church’s foothold in the continent’s most rebellious corner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

For the creators, the series could only be filmed in Iqaluit — the capital of Nunavut, the northernmost territory of Canada.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

"Nevertheless, the court declines the invitation to impose the death penalty on any of the victims," she said, adding that capital punishment would eliminate any prospect of rehabilitation and disengagement.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Korla theater had come into style in the nearby capital of Turfan, and the resulting income had brought other arts—Sogdian inlay, Chinese zither players, Kuchean dancers.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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