Added 9 October 2026
capitol
/ˈkæp.ɪ.təl/ noun
Latin root: capitō Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about capitol at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A building occupied by a state legislature.
- The government building in Washington where the United States Senate and the House of Representatives meet.
Origin
From Middle English Capitolie, via Anglo-Norman capitolie, Old French capitoile, from Latin Capitōlium (“Capitoline Hill, its temples; any similar citadel”), from the oblique stem of caput (“head”) + -ō (noun-forming suffix) or -ōlus (“-ole”, diminutive suffix) + -ium (toponym-forming suffix). Compare Latin capitō and capitulum. As a French magistrate, via French capitoul, from Capitole, the town hall of Toulouse. Doublet of Capitolium and capitoul.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)