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.

---

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

---

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

Conflict monitors, now watching with alarm as Islamist militants capture territory and stage attacks in Mali, urge the administration to pay closer attention to the restive Sahel region and other hot spots.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Remember that classic movie moment when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid can escape capture or death only by jumping off a cliff into a fast-flowing river?

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Shevchenko told the BBC she informed the British authorities of Davies' capture last year after speaking to Ukrainian POWs held in the same prison, who put the two in contact.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Van Dyke had signed an agreement to “never divulge, publish, or reveal,” including through any conduct, what he knew about the operation to capture Maduro, according to the CFTC’s lawsuit against him.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Finally, Frisch came up with something: place eight queens on a chessboard so that no one queen can capture another.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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