Capital: meaning, definitions and examples

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capital

[ˈkæpɪtl ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Noun}

city

The most important city or town of a country, usually where the government is based.

Synonyms

administrative center, seat of government.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
capital	Used to refer to a city where the government of a country or region is located. Tokyo is the capital of Japan. The capital city often hosts many political institutions.
seat of government	Typically used to indicate the specific location or building where the government's executive branch conducts its business. Often more formal and specific. Washington, D.C. is the seat of government for the United States. The seat of government is where major legislative decisions are made.
administrative center	Used to describe a place where the administrative functions of an organization, government, or region are conducted. Often smaller or less significant than a capital city. Springfield serves as the administrative center of the county. The administrative center handles all bureaucratic processes.

Word

Description / Examples

capital

Used to refer to a city where the government of a country or region is located.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
The capital city often hosts many political institutions.

seat of government

Typically used to indicate the specific location or building where the government's executive branch conducts its business. Often more formal and specific.

Washington, D.C. is the seat of government for the United States.
The seat of government is where major legislative decisions are made.

administrative center

Used to describe a place where the administrative functions of an organization, government, or region are conducted. Often smaller or less significant than a capital city.

Springfield serves as the administrative center of the county.
The administrative center handles all bureaucratic processes.

Examples of usage

The capital of France is Paris.
Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States.

^{Context #2 | Adjective}

letter

Involving financial assets such as money or property.

Synonyms

financial, monetary.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
capital	Used in finance to denote the wealth in the form of money or assets that an individual, organization, or country owns or controls. The company needed more capital to expand its operations. Investors provide the capital necessary for startups to grow.
financial	Used to describe anything related to money management, including the activities of banks, investment firms, and other institutions that handle money. She has a strong financial background. The financial sector is crucial to the economy.
monetary	Used to refer to anything related to money, especially in terms of currency and economic policies. The central bank announced new monetary policies. The monetary value of the property has increased.

Word

Description / Examples

capital

Used in finance to denote the wealth in the form of money or assets that an individual, organization, or country owns or controls.

The company needed more capital to expand its operations.
Investors provide the capital necessary for startups to grow.

financial

Used to describe anything related to money management, including the activities of banks, investment firms, and other institutions that handle money.

She has a strong financial background.
The financial sector is crucial to the economy.

monetary

Used to refer to anything related to money, especially in terms of currency and economic policies.

The central bank announced new monetary policies.
The monetary value of the property has increased.

Examples of usage

We made a capital investment in our business.
They have capital reserves for emergencies.

^{Context #3 | Adjective}

excellent

Extremely good or impressive.

Synonyms

excellent, outstanding.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
capital	Use 'capital' when referring to a city where a country's government is located or when mentioning financial resources. Paris is the capital of France. She invested her capital in a new business.
excellent	Use 'excellent' to describe something of very high quality or someone who is very skilled. He did an excellent job on the project. The food at the restaurant was excellent.
outstanding	Use 'outstanding' to describe something or someone that stands out as exceptionally good or impressive. Her performance in the play was outstanding. He received an award for his outstanding contributions to the company.

Word

Description / Examples

capital

Use 'capital' when referring to a city where a country's government is located or when mentioning financial resources.

Paris is the capital of France.
She invested her capital in a new business.

excellent

Use 'excellent' to describe something of very high quality or someone who is very skilled.

He did an excellent job on the project.
The food at the restaurant was excellent.

outstanding

Use 'outstanding' to describe something or someone that stands out as exceptionally good or impressive.

Her performance in the play was outstanding.
He received an award for his outstanding contributions to the company.

Examples of usage

That was a capital idea!
She made a capital impression at the interview.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

Coming from the Latin word 'caput', meaning 'head', it suggests the principal place, like the head of a body.
The term evolved over centuries to reflect not just geographical significance but also economic and political importance.

Geography

Cities like Washington D.C., Pretoria, and Canberra are unique in that they serve as capitals without being the largest city in their respective countries.
Some countries have more than one capital for different purposes, like administrative and legislative functions.

Politics

The choice of a capital can often be a strategic political decision, made to reflect unity or control over a region.
When a country is divided, like during civil wars, capitals can shift between different cities based on political power.

Economics

A capital city often signifies the economic hub of a country due to the concentration of businesses and government activities.
Infrastructure in capital cities tends to be more developed as they are prioritized for national resources.

Culture

Capitals can also be cultural centers, showcasing the art, cuisine, and traditions of a country, like Paris for France or Tokyo for Japan.
Many capitals also host major international events, including summits, cultural festivals, and international games, highlighting their global significance.

Translations

Translations of the word "capital" in other languages:

🇵🇹 capital

🇮🇳 राजधानी

🇩🇪 Hauptstadt

🇮🇩 ibu kota

🇺🇦 столиця

🇵🇱 stolica

🇯🇵 首都 (しゅと)

🇫🇷 capitale

🇪🇸 capital (ciudad)

🇹🇷 başkent

🇰🇷 수도

🇸🇦 عاصمة

🇨🇿 hlavní město

🇸🇰 hlavné mesto

🇨🇳 首都 (shǒudū)

🇸🇮 prestolnica

🇮🇸 höfuðborg

🇰🇿 астана

🇬🇪 დედაქალაქი

🇦🇿 paytaxt

🇲🇽 capital (ciudad)

Word Frequency Rank

With position #495, this word is vital for basic English fluency. It appears very frequently in everyday language and should be among the first words you learn and actively use.

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492 table
493 perhaps
494 looked
495 capital
496 quality
497 loss
498 values
...