capture
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take by force or stratagem; take prisoner; seize.
The police captured the burglar.
- Antonyms:
- release
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to gain control of or exert influence over.
an ad that captured our attention;
a TV show that captured 30% of the prime-time audience.
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to take possession of, as in a game or contest.
to capture a pawn in chess.
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to represent or record in lasting form.
The movie succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of Berlin in the 1930s.
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Computers.
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to enter (data) into a computer for processing or storage.
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to record (data) in preparation for such entry.
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noun
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the act of capturing.
- Synonyms:
- apprehension, arrest, seizure
- Antonyms:
- release
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the thing or person captured.
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Physics. the process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle.
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Crystallography. substitution in a crystal lattice of a trace element for an element of lower valence.
verb
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to take prisoner or gain control over
to capture an enemy
to capture a town
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(in a game or contest) to win control or possession of
to capture a pawn in chess
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to succeed in representing or describing (something elusive)
the artist captured her likeness
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physics (of an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus) to acquire (an additional particle)
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to insert or transfer (data) into a computer
noun
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the act of taking by force; seizure
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the person or thing captured; booty
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physics a process by which an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus acquires an additional particle
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Also called: piracy. geography the process by which the headwaters of one river are diverted into another through erosion caused by the second river's tributaries
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the act or process of inserting or transferring data into a computer
Other Word Forms
- capturable adjective
- capturer noun
- precapture adjective
- uncapturable adjective
- uncaptured adjective
Etymology
Origin of capture
First recorded in 1535–45; from Middle French, from Latin captūra, equivalent to capt(us) “taken” (past participle of capere “to take”) + -ūra -ure
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.
"Is Jersey a good place to capture people for a safe, short break who would've otherwise been going elsewhere? Absolutely," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
An executive order by President Dwight D. Eisenhower set a standard for military members threatened with enemy capture, including that, “If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
It didn’t capture trade in services — only goods, skewing the numbers substantially.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
Williams recorded five strikeouts, Angelina Gonzales hit a pair of home runs and the Cougars blanked Fullerton 7-0 to capture their sixth tournament title Saturday night at Peralta Park in Anaheim.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
They believed this because they’d failed so miserably to capture him.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions 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.
