capital

¹

[kap-i-tl]

noun

1. the city or town that is the official seat of government in a country, state, etc..

   Tokyo is the capital of Japan.

2. a city regarded as being of special eminence in some field of activity.

   New York is the dance capital of the world.

3. capital letter.

4. the wealth, whether in money or property, owned or employed in business by an individual, firm, corporation, etc.

   Synonyms: stock, assets, investment, principal

5. an accumulated stock of such wealth.

6. any form of wealth employed or capable of being employed in the production of more wealth.

7. Accounting.

   1. assets remaining after deduction of liabilities; the net worth of a business.

   2. the ownership interest in a business.

8. any source of profit, advantage, power, etc.; an asset or assets (usually used in combination).

   He has the political capital to push through the legislation.

   His indefatigable drive is his greatest capital.

9. capitalists as a group or class (labor ).

   High taxation has reduced the spending power of capital.

adjective

1. pertaining to financial capital.

   capital stock.

2. principal; highly important.

   This guide offers suggestions of capital interest to travelers.

   Synonyms: first, primary, prime
   Antonyms: minor, trivial

3. chief, especially as being the official seat of government of a country, state, etc..

   the capital city of France.

4. excellent or first-rate.

   a capital hotel; a capital fellow.

5. indicating a capital letter; uppercase.

   Nouns in German are capitalized, so Schatz is written with a capital “S.”

6. involving the loss of life.

   capital punishment.

7. punishable by death.

   a capital crime;

   a capital offender.

8. fatal; extremely serious.

   a capital error.

capital

²

[kap-i-tl]

noun

Architecture.

1. the distinctively treated upper end of a column, pier, or the like.

capital

¹

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. 1. the seat of government of a country or other political unit

   2. ( as modifier )

      a capital city

2. material wealth owned by an individual or business enterprise

3. wealth available for or capable of use in the production of further wealth, as by industrial investment

4. to get advantage from

5. (sometimes capital) the capitalist class or their interests

   capital versus labour

6. accounting

   1. the ownership interests of a business as represented by the excess of assets over liabilities

   2. the nominal value of the authorized or issued shares

   3. ( as modifier )

      capital issues

7. any assets or resources, esp when used to gain profit or advantage

8. 1. Abbreviation: cap..  cap. a capital letter

   2. ( as modifier )

      capital B

9. (used to give emphasis to a statement)

   he is mean with a capital M

adjective

1. (prenominal) law involving or punishable by death

   a capital offence

2. very serious; fatal

   a capital error

3. primary, chief, or principal

   our capital concern is that everyone be fed

4. of, relating to, or designating the large modern majuscule letter used chiefly as the initial letter in personal names and place names and other uniquely specificatory nouns, and often for abbreviations and acronyms Compare small See also upper case

5. excellent; first-rate

   a capital idea

capital

²

/ ˈkæpɪtəl /

noun

1. Also called: chapiter.  cap. the upper part of a column or pier that supports the entablature

capital

¹

1. Money used to finance the purchase of the means of production, such as machines, or the machines themselves.

capital

²

1. In architecture, the top portion of a column.

Confusables Note

The noun capital1 refers to a city or town that is the seat of government; to a capital letter as opposed to a lowercase letter; and to wealth or resources. The noun Capitol refers primarily to the building in Washington, D.C., in which Congress sits or to similar buildings used by state legislatures.

The form of the capital often serves to distinguish one style of architecture from another. For example, the Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic styles of Greek architecture all have different capitals.

Other Word Forms

• capitalness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of capital¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; (adjective) from Anglo-French or directly from Latin capitālis “of the head” ( capit-, stem of caput “head” + -ālis adjective suffix; -al ¹ ); (noun) from Medieval Latin capitāle “wealth,” noun use of neuter of the adjective capitālis

Origin of capital²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English capital(e) “head of a pillar,” from Anglo-French capital, capitel, from Late Latin capitellum “capital of a column,” equivalent to capit- (stem of caput ) “head” + -ellum diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of capital¹

C13: from Latin capitālis (adj) concerning the head, chief, from caput head; compare Medieval Latin capitāle (n) wealth, from capitālis (adj)

Origin of capital²

C14: from Old French capitel, from Late Latin capitellum, diminutive of caput head

Idioms and Phrases

see make capital out of.

Synonym Study

The adjectives capital, chief, major, principal apply to a main or leading representative of a kind. Capital may mean larger or more prominent; it may also suggest preeminence or excellence: capital letter, idea, virtue, etc. Chief means leading, highest in office or power: the chief clerk. Major may refer to greatness of importance, number, or quantity: a major operation, the major part of a population. Principal refers to most distinguished, influential, or foremost: principal officer.

Example Sentences

Like many Australians, Rach grew up "terrified of the sun" in a country that has the unenviable title of skin cancer capital of the world.

From BBC

He won fans across the capital when he led the campaign to save Hearts Football Club from administration as the chairman of the supporters group.

From BBC

This covered her personal position in relation to council tax, stamp duty land tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax.

From BBC

The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent investigation.

From BBC

The Elizabeth line and the Overground will operate as normal but will be much busier, as will the capital's roads.

From BBC

Related Words

• business 
• cash 
• financing 
• investment 
• money 

When To Use

What does capital mean?

A capital is a city or town that acts as the center of a government, such as a city’s or nation’s government, as in Washington, DC, is the capital of the United States.More casually, a city or town might be a capital of some special importance. For example, New York City is sometimes called the “business capital of the world,” but Albany is the official state capital of New York.In business and finance, capital is wealth owned by a person or company. Your capital can include the money you have in the bank, property you own, and any stocks or bonds you’ve purchased.Capital can also describe something very important or first-rate, as in We had so much fun at the fair, that it was a capital day.Example: The bill was supported by Congressional representatives from 13 states and the capital.