English Meaning & Definitions
To cease resisting an opponent or an unwelcome demand; to surrender, often after negotiation of terms.
- “The rebels were forced to capitulate after their supplies ran out.”
- “The company finally capitulated to the union's demands for higher wages.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “capitulate”.
Derived from the Medieval Latin 'capitulare', meaning 'to draw up in chapters or heads of agreement.' It stems from the Latin 'capitulum' (little head/chapter), which is a diminutive of 'caput' (head). Historically, it referred to the act of drawing up terms of surrender under specific headings or articles.
Think of a 'cap' being taken off a soldier's head in surrender.
Frequently Asked Questions About “capitulate”
1. What is the meaning of “capitulate” in English?
In English, capitulate (verb) is defined as: “To cease resisting an opponent or an unwelcome demand; to surrender, often after negotiation of terms.”.
2. How do you use “capitulate” in a sentence?
“The rebels were forced to capitulate after their supplies ran out.”
3. What are English synonyms of “capitulate”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “capitulate”?
Derived from the Medieval Latin 'capitulare', meaning 'to draw up in chapters or heads of agreement.' It stems from the Latin 'capitulum' (little head/chapter), which is a diminutive of 'caput' (head). Historically, it referred to the act of drawing up terms of surrender under specific headings or articles.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.