capitol

See also: Capitol and capítol

English

Alternative forms

• Capitol (specific uses)

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æpɪtəl

The Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, US

• IPA^(key): /ˈkæp.ɪ.təl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

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

Noun

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”).

Usage notes

• 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.

Synonyms

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

Related terms

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

Translations

any building where a legislature meets

• Catalan: capitoli (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 國會大廈 / 国会大厦 (zh) (guóhuìdàshà)

• Finnish: no equivalent term in Finnish, but see hallintorakennus
• Japanese: 国会議事堂 (こっかいぎじどう, kokkaigijidō)
• Spanish: capitolio (es) m
• Vietnamese: thủ phủ (vi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} kapitolo

Anagrams

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

Romanian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈpi.tol/

Noun

capitol n (plural capitole)

1. chapter (section of a book)

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	capitol	capitolul		capitole	capitolele
genitive-dative	capitol	capitolului		capitole	capitolelor
vocative	capitolule			capitolelor

Further reading

• capitol in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)