What does "capitol" mean?
Any building or complex of buildings in which a legislature meets.
Capitol
/ˈkæp.ɪ.təl/ name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any building or complex of buildings in which a legislature meets.
- Grammar: capitol is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: capitole, capitoline hill, city hall, courthouse.
- Useful contrasts: private home, private residence.
- Usage evidence: A banking scandal is sweeping across Capitol Hill.
How to use "capitol"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "capitol" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "capitol" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "capitol" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "capitol" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "capitol" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "capitole" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "capitol", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any building or complex of buildings in which a legislature meets. US
"The state capitol is located smack-dab in the middle of the state's capital."
- 2 a building occupied by a state legislature wordnet
- 3 Any citadel or complex of buildings similar to the Roman Capitol, particularly Italian and Roman citadels including temples to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. historical
- 4 Alternative form of capitoul (“the former chief magistrates of Toulouse, France”). alt-of, alternative, historical
Proper Noun
- 1 Any particular capitol; The citadel and temples on the Capitoline Hill in Ancient Rome. historical
- 2 Any particular capitol; The town hall of Toulouse, France.
- 3 Any particular capitol; The building in Washington, D.C., in which both houses of the Congress of the United States meet.
"ON January 20, 1953, I stood on a platform at the East Front of the Capitol in Washington to take the oath, administered by Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson, as the thirty-fourth President of the United States — an office I was to hold for eight years."
- 4 Any particular capitol; The chief building in any state capital in which the state legislature meets. US
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
private homeprivate residence
Example
"A banking scandal is sweeping across Capitol Hill."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "capitol"?
Common synonyms include: capitole, capitoline hill, city hall, courthouse, legislative building, parliament building.
How do you use "capitol" in a sentence?
A banking scandal is sweeping across Capitol Hill.
How do you pronounce "capitol"?
Pronounced /ˈkæp.ɪ.təl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English Capitolie, via Anglo-Norman capitolie, Old French capitoile, from Latin Capitōlium (“Capitoline Hill, its temples; any similar citadel”), from the oblique stem of caput (“head”) + -ō (noun-forming suffix) or -ōlus (“-ole”, diminutive suffix) + -ium (toponym-forming suffix). Compare Latin capitō and capitulum. As a French magistrate, via French capitoul, from Capitole, the town hall of Toulouse. Doublet of Capitolium and capitoul.
Etymology 2
From Middle English Capitolie, in historical sense, from Latin Capitōlium. Other meanings from specific instances of capitol, q.v. As a French town hall, a calque of French Capitole.