CAPITAL


Meaning of CAPITAL in English

I. ˈka-pə-t ə l, ˈkap-t ə l noun

Etymology: Middle English capitale, from Anglo-French capital, capitel, from Late Latin capitellum small head, top of column, diminutive of Latin capit-, caput head — more at head

Date: 13th century

: the uppermost member of a column or pilaster crowning the shaft and taking the weight of the entablature — see column illustration

II. adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin capitalis, from capit-, caput

Date: 14th century

1. of a letter : of or conforming to the series A, B, C, etc. rather than a, b, c, etc.

2.

a. : punishable by death

a capital crime

b. : involving execution

capital punishment

c. : most serious

a capital error

3.

a. : chief in importance or influence

capital ships

the capital importance of criticism in the work of creation itself — T. S. Eliot

b. : being the seat of government

4. : of or relating to capital ; especially : relating to or being assets that add to the long-term net worth of a corporation

capital improvements

5. : excellent

a capital book

- with a capital

III. noun

Etymology: French or Italian; French, from Italian capitale, from capitale, adjective, chief, principal, from Latin capitalis

Date: circa 1639

1.

a.

(1) : a stock of accumulated goods especially at a specified time and in contrast to income received during a specified period ; also : the value of these accumulated goods

(2) : accumulated goods devoted to the production of other goods

(3) : accumulated possessions calculated to bring in income

b.

(1) : net worth

(2) : stock 7c(1)

c. : persons holding capital

d. : advantage , gain

make capital of the situation

e. : a store of useful assets or advantages

wasted their political capital on an unpopular cause

wrote from the capital of his emotionally desolate boyhood — E. L. Doctorow

2.

[ capital (II)]

a. : a capital letter ; especially : an initial capital letter

b. : a letter belonging to a style of alphabet modeled on the style customarily used in inscriptions

3.

[ capital (II)]

a. : a city serving as a seat of government

b. : a city preeminent in some special activity

the fashion capital

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.