Capitol Hill

noun

: the legislative branch of the U.S. government

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Capital and Capitol: Which One to Use Where

What a pair these are: they sound identical and look nearly identical and both have meanings that relate to government. Mastering their use, however, is simple.

The key is this: capitol, the one with an "o," is very limited in use. It appears in the term Capitol Hill, and is used to refer to one very particular and famous building, to some other similar buildings, and, occasionally, to a group of buildings that includes those similar buildings. For all other meanings, the word you want is capital.

This means that in a state's capital city is a building or group of buildings properly referred to with the word capitol, with an "o." In this use capitol is synonymous with statehouse: both refer to the building or group of buildings where a state legislature meets. The phrase capital city utilizes capital because it refers to a city, not to a building or group of buildings.

Capitol with a capital "C" refers to the particular building in Washington, D.C. where the U.S. Congress meets. It often appears before other nouns in phrases like the Capitol building and Capitol police, and is very frequently used in the term Capitol Hill, which refers both to the legislative branch of the United States government as well as to the location of the Capitol building. The Capitol, like many state capitol buildings, has a rounded dome that is somewhat reminiscent of the top of an "o," which may help some remember the "o" spelling. Note that the word capital as used to describe an uppercase letter, like in the phrase capital "C", utilizes capital.

The word capital has three distinct homographs, two for noun uses and one for adjective uses. Readers should consult those entries for the various meanings of capital, but can be assured that they all end in al, rather than ol.

Examples of Capitol Hill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Sara Dorn Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics, with a focus on elections and Capitol Hill. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 But Republicans on Capitol Hill don't all necessarily see eye to eye with Trump on mandating IVF coverage. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024 Trump might inspire a riot on Capitol Hill, but somebody will get fired in every episode. Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 28 Oct. 2024 The former Capitol Hill restaurant Majorie is reopening in a new spot in the Central District (Eater Seattle) Subscribe for more Axios Seattle in your inbox. Melissa Santos, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Capitol Hill 

Word History

Etymology

Capitol Hill, Washington, site of the U.S. Capitol

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Capitol Hill was in 1935

Dictionary Entries Near Capitol Hill

Cite this Entry

“Capitol Hill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Capitol%20Hill. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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