capture

American  

[kap-cher] / ˈkæp tʃər /

verb (used with object)

captured, capturing

1. to take by force or stratagem; take prisoner; seize.

   The police captured the burglar.

   Synonyms:

   nab, grab, apprehend, snare, arrest, catch

   Antonyms:

   release

2. 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.

3. to take possession of, as in a game or contest.

   to capture a pawn in chess.

4. to represent or record in lasting form.

   The movie succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of Berlin in the 1930s.

5. Computers.

   1. to enter (data) into a computer for processing or storage.

   2. to record (data) in preparation for such entry.

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noun

1. the act of capturing.

   Synonyms:

   apprehension, arrest, seizure

   Antonyms:

   release

2. the thing or person captured.

3. Physics. the process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle.

4. Crystallography. substitution in a crystal lattice of a trace element for an element of lower valence.

capture British  

/ ˈkæptʃə /

verb

1. to take prisoner or gain control over

   to capture an enemy

   to capture a town

2. (in a game or contest) to win control or possession of

   to capture a pawn in chess

3. to succeed in representing or describing (something elusive)

   the artist captured her likeness

4. physics (of an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus) to acquire (an additional particle)

5. to insert or transfer (data) into a computer

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noun

1. the act of taking by force; seizure

2. the person or thing captured; booty

3. physics a process by which an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus acquires an additional particle

4. 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

5. 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

Explanation

The verb to capture means to grab, trap, or take something that doesn't want to be grabbed, trapped, or taken. Hunters, pirates, and kidnappers all capture the things they want. If you want that tiger, you're going to have to capture him, either by setting a trap or shooting him. Either way, his capture won't be easy. You can also capture a photograph of something — which, while it doesn't mean taking it against its will, is still a kind of taking in which the thing itself is not participating. The pirate captured his hostages, while his hostages captured the scene on their cell-phone video cameras.

Example Sentences

The obituaries, social media posts and GoFundMe pages capture the utter despair of the families, though none of them reckon with the decision not to get the vitamin K shot.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

One payload, the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies, will capture high-resolution images of how the lander's engine plume interacts with the lunar surface during descent and landing.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

“Promoters are keen to expand and capture new market share, often reflected in artist contracts obliging the latter to tour in certain geographies, Europe being one of them,” the Bernstein analysts said.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Grab’s first-quarter results only capture the very beginning of the energy crisis, and the full weight of rising fuel costs will show up more clearly from the second quarter, said Zavier Wong at eToro.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

“To capture the whole war hero, the whole girl. Here she is at work, connecting important calls of the country. Here she is at home, reading and doing her needlework, perhaps by the fireplace.”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• apprehend
• arrest
• catch
• conquer
• grab
• occupy
• pick up
• round up
• secure
• seize
• snatch
• take
• trap