Main Entry:

³capital

Function:

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 [²capital] 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 inscriptions3 [²capital] a: a city serving as a seat of government b: a city preeminent in some special activity <the fashion capital>