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

Kyiv says those demands are tantamount to demanding its capitulation. —Bart H. Meijer and Gabriel Stargardter, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025

In two months’ time, the U.S. economy may well be in a state of disarray, consumer confidence and confidence in the president will likely have plummeted further, and the world will be watching and waiting for his capitulation. Follow me on LinkedIn. —Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Their leaders are straddling a fine line between capitulation and confrontation, hoping to avoid becoming collateral damage. —Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

Yet to bear diplomatic fruit, Trump must pursue attainable aims rather than expect outright capitulation from Tehran. —Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see 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