capital
capital — noun
1. a city where a nation's government holds its meetings and carries out its offici
a city where a nation's government holds its meetings and carries out its official work
Paris is the capital of France and a major centre for art and culture.
countable: capital + of + country
The capital was decorated with flags for the national holiday.
When Leila visited the capital, she went to see the parliament building.
Each province in the country has its own capital city with government offices.
countable: capital city
- capital of + country
- capital city
- national capital
- state capital
- provincial capital
- seat of government
more formal; refers to the location of a government rather than the whole city
- administrative centre
British English; emphasises the bureaucratic function
Usage Note
Often modified by the name of the country or region, as in 'the capital of Japan'. Can be used attributively: 'capital city'.
Common Mistakes
2. a city or place regarded as the leading location worldwide or within a region fo
a city or place regarded as the leading location worldwide or within a region for a specific industry, pastime, or product
Milan is widely regarded as the fashion capital of the world.
capital + of + [activity] for metaphorical centre
Los Angeles has long been the entertainment capital of the United States.
The small coastal town became the surfing capital of the region after hosting several international competitions.
Detroit was once known as the automotive capital of the world.
- fashion capital
- film capital
- culinary capital
- music capital
- capital of the + [industry] world
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (CITY): this sense describes what a place is famous for, not where a government sits. The pattern is usually 'the [activity] capital of [place]'.
3. the larger version of a written character, used for the opening word of a senten
the larger version of a written character, used for the opening word of a sentence and for the unique names of people, places, and brands
Please write your name in capital letters on the application form.
countable: capital letter / capital letters
The word 'Taiwan' begins with a capital T, not a small t.
Teachers remind students to start every sentence with a capital.
countable: start with a capital
Yara noticed that the street sign used all capitals for the street name.
- capital letter
- capital letters
- in capitals
- all caps
- written in capital letters
- uppercase letter
more technical; used in computing and typography
- upper case
written as two words or hyphenated 'upper-case'; an alternative way to name the set
- lowercase letter
the small form of a letter, used for most writing
Usage Note
The short form 'a capital' (omitting 'letter') is common in classroom and proofreading contexts. Plural 'capitals' is also used informally.
Common Mistakes
4. money or property that a person or company puts into a business or investment wi
money or property that a person or company puts into a business or investment with the aim of earning more money over time
The company raised enough capital to open three new branches overseas.
uncountable: raise capital
Starting a restaurant requires a large amount of capital for equipment and rent.
Investors provided the capital needed for the renewable-energy research project.
uncountable: provide / invest capital
A bank loan gave the startup enough capital to hire its first five employees.
- raise capital
- invest capital
- provide capital
- venture capital
- capital investment
- capital market
- funds
more general; can refer to money set aside for a specific purpose
- investment
focuses on money put into something expecting a return
- assets
broader; includes anything of value owned, not just money
Usage Note
Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a capital' or 'capitals' when referring to money. Also used in compounds: 'capital investment', 'capital market', 'capital gains'.
Common Mistakes
5. the ornamental upper piece of a supporting pillar, wider than the pillar's main
the ornamental upper piece of a supporting pillar, wider than the pillar's main body and often decorated with carvings
The ancient Greek temple's marble capital was carved with delicate leaf patterns.
countable: architectural term
Each pillar in the museum hall has a beautifully decorated capital in the Corinthian style.
The tour guide explained that the column's capital supported the weight of the roof above it.
The stone carver spent weeks shaping the capital for the new courthouse pillars.
countable: architectural term
- Corinthian capital
- Doric capital
- Ionic capital
- marble capital
- carved capital
- decorated capital
- column top
everyday language; less precise than 'capital'
- head
rare; appears in older architectural texts
- base
the bottom part of a column
Usage Note
Technical term in architecture. Three main classical styles — Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian — each with a distinct type of capital. Usually encountered in descriptions of historical buildings.
to use a situation, event, or piece of information to gain an advantage for yourself, often in a way that others consider unfair
The opposition party tried to make political capital out of the government's handling of the crisis.
Diego's rivals made capital of his failed business deal during the election campaign.
To get a personal benefit from a situation or event.
Mia made capital out of her boss's mistake to get a promotion.
Did Diego make capital of the team's failure to change the rules?
capital — adjective
1. written in the larger form of a letter, as used at the start of a sentence or a
written in the larger form of a letter, as used at the start of a sentence or a proper name
Is the first letter of your surname capital or lowercase?
The sign was printed in capital letters so that everyone could read it clearly.
attributive: capital letters
Please make sure the title is written in a capital A followed by lowercase text.
A capital C at the start of a word often signals that it is a proper noun.
attributive: capital + letter name
- capital letter
- capital A/B/C
- capital letters
- in capital letters
- uppercase
more common in computing and technical contexts; also used predicatively ('This letter is uppercase')
- upper-case
hyphenated variant; interchangeable with 'uppercase'
- lowercase
the small form of letters used for most writing
Usage Note
Usually placed before a noun ('capital letter', 'capital A'). When used predicatively ('This A is capital'), it sounds dated or technical — 'uppercase' is more natural in that position.
Common Mistakes
2. relating to a crime or legal case that is considered serious enough to be punish
relating to a crime or legal case that is considered serious enough to be punishable by death
Murder is treated as a capital offence in many countries around the world.
collocation: capital offence
The lawyer argued that the case did not meet the definition of a capital crime under state law.
Countries that still have capital punishment usually restrict it to the most serious crimes.
collocation: capital punishment
The jury had to decide whether the defendant was guilty of a capital offense.
- capital offence
- capital crime
- capital punishment
- capital case
- capital murder
- punishable by death
explanatory phrase; not an adjective but a post-modifier
- life-threatening
⚠ different meaning — 'capital' in this sense relates to legal punishment, not danger
Usage Note
Almost always used before a noun in fixed phrases: 'capital offence', 'capital crime', 'capital punishment'. Not used as a standalone predicate (✗ 'The crime was capital').
Common Mistakes
3. most important; being the main or fundamental element among a set of things
most important; being the main or fundamental element among a set of things
The capital objective of the climate summit was to agree on emissions targets.
formal register: capital objective
Reducing waste is a matter of capital importance for the manufacturing industry.
The board discussed the capital question of whether to expand into Asian markets.
The capital aim of the new policy is to improve access to healthcare for rural families.
formal: capital aim
For the team, winning the championship was a matter of capital importance.
- capital importance
- capital objective
- capital question
- capital concern
Usage Note
Rather formal and somewhat old-fashioned. More common in fixed expressions like 'capital importance' than in everyday speech. 'Chief', 'primary', or 'main' are more natural alternatives in modern English.
4. extremely good; of the highest quality or standard
extremely good; of the highest quality or standard
That was a capital idea for improving the community garden.
informal British: capital idea
The chef prepared a capital meal for the wedding guests.
Rohan gave a capital performance in the school play last Friday.
A capital suggestion, Priya — let us try that approach first.
informal exclamation: capital!
- capital idea
- capital suggestion
- capital meal
- capital fellow
- excellent
standard modern equivalent; neutral register
- first-rate
slightly formal; emphasises top quality
- splendid
similar old-fashioned tone; British English
- brilliant
very common in modern British English for 'very good'
Usage Note
Considered old-fashioned or dated in most English-speaking regions, but still in occasional use in British English for humorous or emphatic effect. 'Excellent' or 'brilliant' are more common alternatives today.
Word family
- capitalismnounB2
- capitalistnounB2
- capitalistadjectiveC1
- capitalizeverbB2
- capitalizationnounC1
- capitallyadverbC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Capital refers to the city that functions as a country's or region's political centre, housing its government buildings and leaders — for example, 'Tokyo is the capital of Japan.' Seat of government is more precise and formal, naming the specific location (which could be a town or building) where the governing body meets. Administrative centre is common in British English for regional capitals within a country, such as a county town. Metropolis is broader: it describes any large, busy city regardless of political status. Tokyo is both a capital and a metropolis, but Los Angeles is a metropolis, not a national capital. Use 'capital' when referring to political or governmental centrality, and 'metropolis' when emphasising size and urban activity.
Common collocations
Nouns
- capital city
- capital letter
- capital punishment
- capital investment
- capital offence
- capital gains
Phrases
- make capital out of something
- with a capital + letter name
- in capital letters
Prepositions
- capital of
- in the capital
Etymology
Capital comes from the Latin word 'capitalis', meaning 'of the head', which itself comes from 'caput' (head). The idea is that the head is the most important part of the body. This root gave rise to several meanings: a capital city is the 'head' city of a country; a capital letter sits at the 'head' of a word or sentence; financial capital was originally the 'principal' or 'head' amount of a loan. The word entered English through Old French in the 13th century, first in the architectural sense (top of a column, like a head), then expanded to the other meanings over the following centuries.