noun
capital
KA-pih-tuhl
noun
1
The city where a country's or region's government is based.
"Paris is the capital of France."
2
Money or assets used to start or grow a business.
"The startup raised a million dollars in capital from investors."
3
An uppercase letter.
"Remember to start each sentence with a capital."
adj
1
Of the greatest importance; chief.
"Choosing the right location was a capital decision for the business."
2
Punishable by death.
"Treason was once considered a capital offence."
How to Use Capital
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA country's main city, money used to fund a business, or an uppercase letter — depending on context.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "capitol," the building where a legislature meets — "capital" is the city or the money.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
capital city
raise capital
capital letter
capital punishment
Word Forms
capitals plural, capitals plural
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Fill the Gap
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Paris is the _____ of France.
Etymology
From Latin capitalis ("of the head"), from caput ("head"). The financial sense grew out of medieval trade in "heads" of cattle — property was literally counted in animal heads.