capitol

• Capitol (specific uses)

From Middle English Capitolie, via Anglo-Norman capitolie, Old French capitoile, from Latin Capitōlium (“Capitoline Hill, its temples; any similar citadel”),^[1] 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.

• Rhymes: -æpɪtəl

• IPA^(key): /ˈkæp.ɪ.təl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cap‧i‧tol
• Homophone: capital

capitol (plural capitols)

1. (US) Any building or complex of buildings in which a legislature meets.

   The state capitol is located smack-dab in the middle of the state's capital.

   • 1901 January 1, "Twentieth Century's Triumphant Entry", The New York Times, page 1:

     The centre of attraction was the City Hall. Two thousand flags and more ...; 2,000 electric lights... combined to make the civic capitol gorgeous... .

2. (historical) Any citadel or complex of buildings similar to the Roman Capitol, particularly Italian and Roman citadels including temples to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
3. (historical) Alternative form of capitoul (“the former chief magistrates of Toulouse, France”).

• The homophone capital refers only to the city designated as a base for government; this government may meet at a capitol building.
• The capitalized form Capitol typically refers to a particular capitol building, particularly the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

• (building in which a legislature meets): statehouse
• (former Roman and Italian citadels): Capitolium

• capital (the city in which the government center is located)
• Capitoline

• pit coal, optical, pitcoal, coalpit, topical, Policat, coal pit, lipcoat

Borrowed from Italian capitolo, from Latin capitulum. Doublet of capitul.

• IPA^(key): /kaˈpi.tol/

capitol n (plural capitole)

1. chapter (section of a book)

• “capitol”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025