Capitol

[ kap-i-tl ]
/ ˈkæp ɪ tl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR Capitol ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the building in Washington, D.C., used by the Congress of the U.S. for its sessions.
(often lowercase) a building occupied by a state legislature.
the ancient temple of Jupiter at Rome, on the Capitoline.
the Capitoline.

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Origin of Capitol

1690–1700, Americanism; < Latin capitōlium temple of Jupiter on Capitoline hill, Rome, taken to be a derivative of caput head; replacing Middle English capitolie < Old North French

usage note for Capitol

See capital1.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH Capitol

capital Capitol (see usage note at capital1)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to capitol

center, dome, statehouse

Example sentences from the Web for capitol

British Dictionary definitions for capitol

Capitol
/ (ˈkæpɪtəl) /

noun

  1. another name for the Capitoline
  2. the temple on the Capitoline
the Capitol the main building of the US Congress
Also called: statehouse (sometimes not capital) (in the US) the building housing any state legislature

Word Origin for Capitol

C14: from Latin Capitōlium, from 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