capitulate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
capitulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
capitulated,
past participle, past
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capitulating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
capitulatesimple
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capitulatessimple
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have capitulatedperfect
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has capitulatedperfect
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am capitulatingprogressive
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are capitulatingprogressive
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is capitulatingprogressive
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have been capitulatingperfect progressive
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has been capitulatingperfect progressive
Past
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capitulatedsimple
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had capitulatedperfect
-
was capitulatingprogressive
-
were capitulatingprogressive
-
had been capitulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of capitulate
First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin capitulātus (past participle of capitulāre “to draw up in sections”), equivalent to capitul(um) “section,” literally, “small head” + -ātus ; see origin at capitulum, chapter ( def. ), -ate 1
Explanation
To capitulate means to give in to something. If your parents refuse to raise your allowance, you might try to argue until they capitulate. Good luck! To capitulate is to surrender outright or to give in under certain terms. Either way, you’re agreeing to something you don’t really want. The word comes from the Latin roots caput ("head") and capitulum ("headings"), a reference to the official agreement drawn up when someone formally surrendered.
Vocabulary lists containing capitulate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But litigation and regulatory investigations are costly, and a lot of companies, corporate parents, make the decision that it is actually less painful to settle and to capitulate than it is to fight.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
And when they capitulate one by one…the market goes the ‘illogical’ way for much longer than people can remain in the position.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 13, 2026
Eastern Time on Tuesday — telling one reporter that “very little” would be off the table if Tehran doesn’t capitulate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
The president told his White House team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait, the world’s most vital shipping lane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
Sabata was opposed to the Bantu Authorities and would not capitulate, but my visitors were afraid that Matanzima would depose him, which is eventually what happened.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
In his October memo, “Three Tough Truths About Climate,” Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates capitulates, admitting, “It will not lead to humanity’s demise.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
It takes both sides to end a war, unless an opponent capitulates.
From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026
Abandoning the lecture, she argues, capitulates “to the worst features of the customer-service mentality that has seeped into the university from the business world.”
From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2015
See how foolish it looks on a regular basis as it capitulates on one pending lawsuit after another.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2015
But after arguing with Gauguin for weeks, he finally capitulates.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
During his eight years as a Laker there seemed to be countless occasions when Lakers brass capitulated to his “demands.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
Only one sued state – Oklahoma – has thus far capitulated to the DOJ.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026
Malinin, a two-time defending world champion and undefeated for over two years, had been leading after the short programme, but he capitulated and ultimately finished 15th in the free skate and eighth overall.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
"Sabalenka will go away with a lot of things to think about - she basically capitulated."
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
Having capitulated on the hair question, Dad put up an even sterner resistance against any future changes in dress.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
A relationship is not about one person capitulating to the other.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The market has absorbed more than its fair share without capitulating.
From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026
European officials are searching for ways to respond to the president without escalating the situation into a broader trade spat or capitulating on security in the face of his trade threats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026
On top of that, there are also the examples of the many, many law firms that responded to these orders by capitulating and changing their behavior.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2025
Even more strongly than Walter, he felt that by initiating talks it would appear that we were capitulating.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
