capture

1 of 2

noun

cap·​ture ˈkap-chər 

-shər

plural captures

1

: an act or instance of capturing: such as

a

: an act of catching, winning, or gaining control by force, stratagem, or guile

the capture of the city by enemy forces

The criminals avoided/eluded/escaped capture.

… authorities increased the reward for information leading to his capture …

—Rachel Schilke

b

: a move in a board game (such as chess or checkers) that gains an opponent's piece

In the original game of checkers, capture was optional, as it is in modern chess.

—Jack Botermans et al.

c

: the absorption by an atom, nucleus, or particle of a subatomic particle that often results in subsequent emission of radiation or in fission

d

: the act of recording in a permanent file

data capture

motion capture

e

: any of various methods of removing a substance from something (such as emissions produced by an industrial process) to reduce its presence in the atmosphere

especially : carbon capture sense 1

Coal-fired plants operating in 2040 and beyond would have to use carbon capture and storage technology with 90% capture of carbon.

—Mike Tony

… mercury capture in incinerator flue gas can be carried out … with high removal efficiencies …

—Fabrizio Scala

2

: someone or something that is taken or captured (such as a war prize)

capture

2 of 2

verb

captured; capturing ˈkap-chə-riŋ 

ˈkap-shriŋ

; captures

transitive verb

1

a

: to take and hold (someone or something) as a captive or prisoner

also : to gain control of especially by force

capture a city

b

: to gain or win especially through effort

captured 60 percent of the vote

2

a

: to emphasize, represent, or preserve (something, such as a scene, mood, or quality) in a more or less permanent form

… at any such moment as a photograph might capture …

—C. E. Montague

b

: to record in a permanent file (as in a computer)

The system is used to capture data relating to the buying habits of young people.

3

: to captivate and hold the interest of

The performer captured our attention.

4

: to take according to the rules of a game

A knight captured his pawn.

5

: to bring about the capture of (a subatomic particle)

6

astronomy : to draw into the gravitational influence of a larger body

Asteroids were thought to be too small to capture a moon, but the moon might be a fragment that broke off.

—Kenneth Chang

capturable

ˈkap-chə-rə-bəl 

-shrə-bəl

adjective

Synonyms

Noun

• captive
• internee
• prisoner

Verb

• acquire
• attain
• bag
• bring in
• carry
• come by
• draw
• earn
• gain
• garner
• get
• knock down
• land
• make
• obtain
• procure
• pull down
• realize
• reap
• secure
• win

Choose the Right Synonym for capture

catch, capture, trap, snare, entrap, ensnare, bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing.

catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor.

trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals

snared butterflies with a net

entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question

a sting operation that ensnared burglars

bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

Examples of capture in a Sentence

Noun

the capture of the city by enemy forces

a Spanish treasure ship was the most valuable capture ever taken by that privateer

Verb

They were captured by enemy soldiers.

using traps to capture mice

The city was captured by the Romans.

She captured 60 percent of the vote in the last election.

The company plans on capturing a larger segment of the market.

The show has captured the attention of teenagers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In Gaza, in their search for hostages, Israeli forces have raided hospitals, dug up gravesites and scoured tunnels used by Hamas to evade capture and hide from Israeli bombs. —Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

Even local Anglo sheriffs and politicians, who depended on Texas-Mexican votes, helped Garza evade capture. —TIME, 9 Apr. 2024

Video capture via the rear camera tops out at 4K at 30fps. —PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024

After weeks of evading capture, the 14-foot-long crocodile finally fell for the trap, officials said. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024

While its strategic significance is limited, the loss of Avdiivka - taken together with Moscow’s capture of the town of Bakhmut last year - indicates how the war appears to have turned in Russia’s favor. —Mariya Knight, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

External Audit Workflow, which leverages AI and automation to centralize, simplify, and streamline management of third-party audits, further supports case-level data capture and reporting with the addition of the Case Target Type and Case Target Value fields. —Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024

Her grandfather evaded capture by foraging in forests and hiding in people's attics and basements. —Geri Stengel, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

The arrests of close Machado allies last week, as well as the issue of warrants for the capture of seven others, prompted international outcry. —Reuters, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024

Verb

Those devices, combined with infrared video equipment set up to monitor the facility, will capture whether explosions at River Metals coincide with spikes in negative air quality. —The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024

Her next act will capture Beyoncé reuniting with her Destiny’s Child groupmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for an entirely new song that celebrates their start. —Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024

Furthermore, Ferruccio was a big fan of Spanish bullfighting, which is why the logo captures the moment before the beast springs forth. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2024

Then, troops and armored vehicles will enter the city to capture and kill Hamas fighters as special forces units search for hostages. —Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024

Since it was launched four years ago, the fund has allocated over €6 billion to scaling up clean technologies, such as capturing CO2 from some of Europe’s biggest polluters, like French industrial gas giant Air Liquide SA and Swiss cement maker Holcim Ltd. —John Ainger, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024

Justin Blake's nephew Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot in the back seven times by the police in Kenosha, Wisconsin and left partially paralyzed -- a notorious incident captured on camera. —Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024

Other wonders can be captured on a piece of paper, say the size of a lineup card. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024

For decades, the focus has been getting rid of water, not capturing it. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, from Latin captura, from captus — see captive entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing capture

• capture someone's imagination
• capture/catch someone's imagination
• carbon capture
• win/steal/capture one's heart
• motion capture
• carbon capture and storage
• catch/capture lightning in a bottle
• capture the flag
• evade capture/arrest

Kids Definition

capture

1 of 2 noun

cap·​ture ˈkap-chər 

-shər

1

: the act of catching or gaining control by force or trickery

2

: something or someone captured

capture

2 of 2 verb

captured; capturing ˈkap-chə-riŋ 

ˈkap-shriŋ

1

a

: to take and hold especially by force

capture a city

b

: to gain or win as if by force

captured first prize

2

: preserve entry 1 sense 1

captured her smile on film

Etymology

Noun

from early French capture "capture," from Latin captura (same meaning), from captus "taken (as a prisoner)," from capere "to take" — related to accept, catch, receive