What does capaciously mean?
"Capaciously" is an adverb meaning in a manner marked by great capacity or spaciousness — that is, in a way that holds, contains, or accommodates a large amount. Derived from the adjective "capacious," which itself comes from the Latin capax ('able to hold much'), it entered English usage alongside its parent adjective in the early seventeenth century. In practice, the word appears most often in formal or literary prose: an architect might describe a hall as capaciously proportioned, a tailor might note that a garment is cut capaciously, and writers sometimes apply it metaphorically to the mind, praising a person's capaciously stocked memory or intellect. Because it carries a distinctly elevated register, it lends writing an air of precision and grandeur, though it can feel stilted in everyday conversation. Simpler synonyms include "spaciously," "amply," and "expansively." The word's opposite would be something done narrowly or crampedly. Though rare, it remains a legitimate and expressive choice when a writer wants to emphasize abundance of room rather than mere size.
adverbIn a manner that has a great deal of space or room; in a way that can hold or contain much.
- With abundant space or volume; in a roomy or expansive manner.
"The library's reading room was capaciously designed to accommodate hundreds of scholars at once."
"The coat was cut so capaciously that it could easily fit over three layers of winter clothing."
"Her memory was remarkably capacious, retaining details of conversations from decades past."
It all traces back to the Latin verb capere — 'to take' or 'to hold' — making it a distant cousin of words like captive and capable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of capaciously
"Capaciously" derives from the adjective "capacious," which English borrowed in the early seventeenth century from Latin capax, capacis, meaning 'able to hold much,' itself formed from the verb capere, 'to take' or 'to hold.' The adverb was formed by adding the standard English suffix -ly to the adjective. It shares this Latin root with a broad family of words including "capacity," "capable," "capsule," and "captive."
Related word forms
How capaciously is actually used
A formal, literary word used sparingly in modern English; it most often appears in descriptive writing about physical spaces, garments, or — by extension — mental faculties like memory or intellect. It sounds more elevated than alternatives such as 'spaciously' and can seem affected in casual speech.
Easily confused with capaciously
Capriciously means doing something suddenly and unpredictably on a whim, while capaciously relates to having ample space or holding capacity.