capitulation

noun

ca·​pit·​u·​la·​tion kə-ˌpi-chə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: a set of terms or articles (see article sense 1c) constituting an agreement between governments

2

a

: the act of surrendering or yielding

the capitulation of the defenders of the besieged town

b

: the terms of surrender

Synonyms

• capitulating
• cession
• handover
• relinquishment
• rendition
• submission
• submitting
• surrender

Examples of capitulation in a Sentence

her sudden capitulation surprised everyone; she usually debated for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

To internalize this and fight as aggressively as the GOP does for judicial nominees wouldn’t be a capitulation to a political vision of law, as some Democrats seem to fear, but actually an effort to rebalance the courts and reduce a very tilted partisanship that has come to dominate them. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2024

Even at the most self-interested level, none of them has an incentive to let the other strongarm a Biden capitulation. —Christian Paz, Vox, 27 June 2024

But to hear the Gallic helmer tell it, the Netflix film is far from a capitulation to Hollywood but in fact a sly act of cinematic subversion. —Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 June 2024

Yet this more ambiguous campaign may yield similar outcomes, leaving Beijing in control of Taiwan in most ways that matter without the necessity of any formal capitulation. —Isaac Kardon, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

see capitulate

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1