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 of capitulation

• surrender
• submission

Examples of capitulation in a Sentence

her sudden capitulation surprised everyone; she usually debated for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

The most politically profitable stance would be capitulation. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026

And yet, the most iconic automaker’s first four-seater four-door—and tallest vehicle ever—sure came across as a capitulation to customer demand amid the rampant success of Lamborghini’s Urus, Aston Martin’s DBX, Rolls-Royce’s Cullinan and Bentley’s Bentayga. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

For Democrats, that reassessment veers towards capitulation. —Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026

The most politically profitable stance would be capitulation. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French capitulacion "division into parts, treaty, convention," borrowed from Medieval Latin capitulātiōn-, capitulātiō "dividing into chapters, drawing up heads of agreement" (Late Latin, "listing of subject headings"), from capitulum "heading or division of a document, chapter" + Latin -ātiōn-, -ātiō -ation

Note: The Latin noun is probably in part back-derived from rēcapitulātiō—see recapitulate. For sense development see note at capitulate.

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for capitulation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration