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.

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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

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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

The monument, if approved, would be taller than the US Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Capitol and the symmetry of the South Lawn.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The Edgewater Hotel – Right on Lake Mendota near Capitol Square, this comfortable, elegant hotel makes the most of its setting.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Brandon Fellows, who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, had traveled to the conference to sell imitation Immigration and Customs Enforcement uniforms as costumes.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

I am writing to you today from the steps of the Capitol building they are constructing here in Washington.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan