Capitol

American  

[kap-i-tl] / ˈkæp ɪ tl /

noun

1. the building in Washington, D.C., used by the Congress of the U.S. for its sessions.

2. (often lowercase) a building occupied by a state legislature.

3. the ancient temple of Jupiter at Rome, on the Capitoline.

4. the Capitoline.

---

Capitol British  

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. 1. another name for the Capitoline

   2. the temple on the Capitoline

2. the main building of the US Congress

3. Also called: statehouse.  (sometimes not capital) (in the US) the building housing any state legislature

---

Commonly Confused

See capital ¹.

Etymology

Origin of Capitol

An Americanism first recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin capitōlium, the name of the temple of Jupiter on Capitoline hill, Rome, taken to be a derivative of caput “head”; replacing Middle English capitolie, from Old North French

Explanation

When you march on the state capitol to protest a bill before the legislature, you are assembling outside a building that houses the state government. Use the noun capitol when you're talking about the building where a legislature assembles to govern a state or region. In the United States, each state has an individual capitol building, and the federal government has one too — although when you mention "the Capitol" in Washington, D.C., it is capitalized. Speaking of which, be careful not to confuse capitol with its homophone, capital. Capitol comes from the Latin Capitolium, a famous ancient Roman temple.

Example Sentences

That same month, she pushed to erect a statue of him at the Capitol building in San Juan alongside other presidents who’ve visited the island.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

The expectation on Capitol Hill was that the 60-day deadline expires tomorrow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

King Charles III’s address to a joint meeting of Congress was the closest thing in a long time to a kumbaya moment on an ever more dysfunctional Capitol Hill.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the budget proposal on Capitol Hill last week, telling senators that the visitor experience to parks can be improved even while spending and staff reductions are made.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

By midday, when he took his place in front of the Capitol building, the sun had come out and the streets were slushy.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow