capitulate

verb

ca·​pit·​u·​late kə-ˈpi-chə-ˌlāt 

capitulated; capitulating

intransitive verb

1

a

: to surrender often after negotiation of terms

The enemy was forced to capitulate unconditionally.

b

: to cease resisting : acquiesce

The company capitulated to the labor union to avoid a strike.

2

archaic : parley, negotiate

Did you know?

We hope you’ll acquiesce to some history about capitulate because we can’t resist. When it first entered English in the 16th century, capitulate meant “to discuss terms with an enemy; to negotiate.” Its Latin source is more bookshelf than battlefield: the Medieval Latin word capitulare means “to distinguish [text] by chapters or headings,” as well as “to stipulate in an agreement.” The original “negotiate” sense of capitulate is now rarely heard, and today capitulate typically stresses surrender, whether to agreed-upon terms or in hopelessness before an irresistible opposing force (as in “team owners capitulated to the demands of the players’ union”).

Synonyms

• succumb
• submit
• surrender
• concede

Choose the Right Synonym for capitulate

yield, submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer mean to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist.

yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

yields too easily in any argument

submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another.

a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God

capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.

officials capitulated to the protesters' demands

succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force.

a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood

relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand.

finally relented and let the children stay up late

defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another.

I defer to your expertise in these matters

Examples of capitulate in a Sentence

The country still refuses to capitulate despite its weakening army and dwindling resources.

The teacher refused to capitulate: no calculators were to be used during the exam.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Trump Administration has targeted international students at the elite university in a punitive move over the school’s refusal to sufficiently capitulate to a list of demands. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 June 2025

But Iran doesn’t seem ready to capitulate, The Economist’s Middle East editor noted: Officials told the Journal that Tehran feels Israel lacks a clear exit strategy and can’t afford to get caught in a war of attrition; a priority is keeping the US out of the fight. —J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 16 June 2025

Despite pressure from Henry VIII, and pleas from his family to capitulate, More remained steadfast. —Blake D. Morant, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

Jean Duhon Hanson Dundee ICE agents must take responsibility for their actions Our country is capitulating to an ideology that says the police state is more important than any freedom guaranteed in our constitution. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin capitulatus, past participle of capitulare to distinguish by heads or chapters, from Late Latin capitulum — see capitulary

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

capitulate

verb

ca·​pit·​u·​late kə-ˈpich-ə-ˌlāt 

capitulated; capitulating

: to surrender usually on terms agreed upon in advance

capitulation

kə-ˌpich-ə-ˈlā-shən

noun