capitol

noun

cap·​i·​tol ˈka-pə-tᵊl 

ˈkap-tᵊl

1

a

: a building in which a state legislative body meets

the dome of the state capitol

b

: a group of buildings in which the functions of state government are carried out

2

capitalized : the building in which the U.S. Congress meets at Washington

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• statehouse

Examples of capitol in a Sentence

the dome of the state capitol

the legislators were called to the capitol for an emergency session

Recent Examples on the Web

There are two Warby Parker locations in Wisconsin, in Milwaukee's Third Ward and blocks from the state capitol building in Madison. —Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024

The Confederate Memorial Monument—an eighty-eight-foot column outside the capitol, featuring a triumphant goddess—dates from 1898. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

Members of the public are not allowed to carry firearms on the capitol complex. —Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024

Maryland’s iconic state capitol in Annapolis went into lockdown about 5 p.m. Thursday amid reports of a security threat. —Erin Cox, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024

But 2020 was also marked by violence, or the threat of it, at state capitols and Covid lockdown protests, a trend experts fear will continue. —Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 18 Jan. 2024

Pearson and Jones were ultimately sent back to the capitol by voters in their districts and continue to serve there, although the three Democrats are vastly outnumbered by a supermajority that has been characterized by many observers as far-right. —Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024

Morello praised the guitarist for joining him at protests and picket lines, including a 2011 demonstration in the snow outside the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, against an anti-union measure called the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, signed by then-Gov. Scott Walker. —Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2024

The first permanent capitol building ever constructed in Arizona still stands in Phoenix, but has undergone various transformations since opening its doors in 1901 as Arizona’s Territorial Capitol. —Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 3 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin Capitolium, temple of Jupiter at Rome on the Capitoline hill

First Known Use

1679, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

capitol

noun

cap·​i·​tol ˈkap-ət-ᵊl 

ˈkap-tᵊl

1

: the building in which a state legislature meets

2

capitalized : the building in which the U.S. Congress meets in Washington, D.C.