capitulation

noun

ca·​pit·​u·​la·​tion kə-ˌpi-chə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce capitulation (audio)
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

Examples of capitulation in a Sentence

her sudden capitulation surprised everyone; she usually debated for hours
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The deal is seen by many in Japan as a capitulation, a Bloomberg columnist wrote: Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had vowed to protect the car industry, but autos will be subject to the tariff too. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 25 July 2025 Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancellation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025 But the backlash against what was seen as Paramount’s capitulation to Trump was broad and severe. Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 July 2025 Trump also hinted that a deal with Harvard was imminent, but some Harvard faculty worried about the terms of a prospective deal appearing to look like capitulation, while others worried that the university’s battle over purist principles of academic freedom was quixotic and too costly. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for capitulation

Word History

Etymology

see capitulate

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of capitulation was in 1535

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Cite this Entry

“Capitulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitulation. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.

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