capture

noun

cap·ture | \ ˈkap-chər

, -shər\

Definition of capture

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

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

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

2 : one that has been taken (such as a prize ship)

capture

verb

captured; capturing\ ˈkap-chə-riŋ

, ˈkap-shriŋ \

Definition of capture (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to take captive 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

2a : 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

Other Words from capture Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about capture

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Synonyms & Antonyms for capture

Synonyms: Noun

captive, internee, prisoner

Synonyms: 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

Antonyms: Noun

captor

Antonyms: Verb

forfeit, lose

Choose the Right Synonym for capture

Verb

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

Venzor-Gonzalez evaded capture for three days but was arrested after a multi-hour standoff in Aurora. — Carina Julig, The Denver Post, "Man sentenced to 32 years in prison for shooting at police officer," 14 June 2019 Police say Jacob Ray Julick evaded police capture Thursday after shooting at a Lakeside Park officer during a traffic stop at about 8:30 a.m. in the 3200 block of Dixie Highway in Erlanger. — Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Records: Erlanger shooting suspect Jacob Ray Julick pulled gun on his own mother last year," 6 June 2019 And in every capture, MacDowell's raven mane dominated the frame, proof that curls worthy of a Botticelli babe aren't trendy, but timeless. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "At 61, Andie MacDowell's Signature Curls Are More Timeless Than Ever," 24 May 2019 Their dark color captures solar heat to speed early growth. — Doug Hall, Good Housekeeping, "7 Ways To Grow Potatoes," 28 June 2016 The site has played a similar role when the White House recently deleted the entirety of its newsletter archives, and a number of organizations (not just news, but entities like environmental organizations or the ACLU) reached out for captures. — Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "The Internet’s keepers? “Some call us hoarders—I like to say we’re archivists”," 7 Oct. 2018 Omnidirectional microphones catch the sound of bats that show up but elude capture. — Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, "A mysterious disease is killing millions of bats. These scientists are trying to save them.," 12 July 2018 Luis Alberto Solano-Pimentel, who was arrested in Rhode Island in March after eluding capture since 1997, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to appear, federal prosecutors said. — Danny Mcdonald, BostonGlobe.com, "Man who was on the lam for 21 years pleads guilty to failing to appear in court," 16 May 2018 There was no immediate response from officials in Belgium to Ecuador's capture and extradition request. — Gonzalo Solano, Fox News, "Ex-Ecuador president ordered jailed after missing court date," 3 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

What the film is about: A documentary that captures the transcontinental journey of the eastern monarch butterflies on their epic migration from the forested shores of Southern Canada to the rare and ancient oyamel fir trees of Central Mexico. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, "Ready for takeoff? Here's your first look at the 2019 Flyover Film Festival in Louisville," 16 June 2019 Defending police is a busy field for lawyers, especially in today's era of numerous videos that capture controversial law-enforcement tactics, Morris said. — Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Gym owner claims racial profiling in lawsuit against Grosse Pointe Woods police," 16 June 2019 And Monday is the 25th anniversary of the slow-speed chase that captured a nation's attention as TV viewers watched Simpson flee police in a white Ford Bronco before surrendering on two murder charges. — Eric Levenson, CNN, "O.J. Simpson says he'll use his new Twitter account to 'set the record straight'," 16 June 2019 After the invasion, the family installed a security camera system that captured a second crime at the home a few weeks ago. — Fox News, "Theft of wheelchair latest setback for man, 20, shot during home invasion," 15 June 2019 There are more concert images that capture the complex tension and synergy of a band at work, more of a sense of spontaneous wonder. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“Rolling Thunder Revue,” Reviewed: Martin Scorsese’s Slippery Chronicle of Bob Dylan in Concert," 14 June 2019 The artist behind the illustration, Cold War Steve (whose real name is Christopher Spencer), is known for his satirical photo collages that capture the U.K.’s current political climate. — Kat Moon, Time, "Cold War Steve Designed the 'How Britain Went Bonkers' TIME Cover. Join Him for a Reddit AMA," 13 June 2019 The panel is also interested in talking to him about a campaign meeting in Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer that captured the interest of special counsel Robert Mueller. — Mary Clare Jalonick, Fortune, "Donald Trump Jr. on Capitol Hill to Give Closed-Door Senate Testimony," 12 June 2019 The panel was also interested in talking to him about other topics as well, including a 2016 campaign meeting in Trump Tower in New York with a Russian lawyer that captured the interest of special counsel Robert Mueller. — NBC News, "Trump Jr. speaks to Senate Intel Committee, glad it's 'finally over'," 12 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'capture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.