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

Mr. Rubio was on Capitol Hill to answer questions about foreign policy, and that included Venezuela.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

After getting as close to the White House as security checkpoints would allow, I looped back toward the Capitol building.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

Hilton, a British immigrant and former Fox News commentator, told reporters outside the state Capitol in Sacramento Wednesday morning that he was “very encouraged” by the latest results, though he stopped short of declaring victory.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

"The best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves," Thune told reporters at the Capitol on Monday.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Landing of Columbus, by painter John Vanderlyn, is a mural in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, It is a typical depiction of the 1492 “discovery of America.”

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz