capitol

noun cap·i·tol \ˈka-pə-t^əl, ˈkap-t^əl\

: the building in which the people who make the laws of a U.S. state meet

the Capitol : the building in which the U.S. Congress meets in Washington, D.C.

Full Definition of CAPITOL

a : a building in which a state legislative body meets

b : a group of buildings in which the functions of state government are carried out

capitalized : the building in which the United States Congress meets at Washington

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Origin of CAPITOL

Latin Capitolium, temple of Jupiter at Rome on the Capitoline hill

First Known Use: 1679

Related to CAPITOL

Synonyms: statehouse

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

CAPITOL Defined for Kids

capitol

noun cap·i·tol \ˈka-pə-t^əl, ˈkap-t^əl\

Definition of CAPITOL for Kids

: the building in which a state legislature meets

cap : the building in Washington, D.C., in which the United States Congress meets

Word History of CAPITOL

The word capitol is pronounced the same as capital, and the two words seem to have linked meanings: the building called the Capitol is located in our nation's capital. Curiously, their origins are quite different, though both come from Latin. Capital is from capitalis, which means literally “of the head” and in later Latin came to mean “chief” or “principal.” Capitol is from the Capitolium, a hill at the center of ancient Rome that held a fortress and an important temple to the god Jupiter.