What does capitalise mean?
Capitalise is a versatile verb with three principal uses. In writing, it means to render a letter or word in uppercase — as when a proper noun like 'Paris' begins with a capital letter. In finance, it means to supply a business with capital, to record an expenditure as an asset rather than an expense, or to state a firm's value in terms of its shares or assets. Most idiomatically, to 'capitalise on' something is to seize an opportunity and turn it to advantage, as when a retailer capitalises on holiday demand. The word derives from the Latin 'capitalis', meaning 'of the head', the same root behind 'capital' and, more distantly, 'cattle'. It is standard in British English, where it is spelled with an -ise ending, while American usage prefers 'capitalize'. Its tone is neutral in literal senses but can shade toward opportunism when applied to people exploiting situations.
To write or print a word or letter in capitals; to begin a sentence or proper noun with a capital letter.
"Always capitalise the first word of a sentence."
In accounting contexts, to capitalise an expenditure is to treat it as an asset on the balance sheet rather than an immediate expense.
To provide a company or venture with capital, or to convert assets or income into capital; also, to estimate the value of a business based on its earnings.
"The bank agreed to capitalise the new subsidiary with an initial £5 million."
Common in finance and accounting register.
To take advantage of a situation or opportunity for benefit, usually in the construction 'capitalise on'.
"The team capitalised on their opponent's defensive errors to win the match."
The same Latin root that gives us 'capitalise' also gave us the word 'chattel' and even 'cattle' — wealth was once literally measured in heads of livestock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of capitalise
Capitalise comes from 'capital', borrowed into English from Old French, ultimately from the Latin adjective 'capitalis' ('of the head'), itself from 'caput' ('head'). The financial sense developed through the notion of capital as accumulated wealth or stock, and the verb took form in the 19th century alongside the rise of modern capitalism. The root 'caput' also produced words such as 'captain', 'chapter', 'cattle', and 'chattel', reflecting the ancient practice of counting wealth by head of livestock. The -ise spelling reflects British orthographic convention, while American English regularises the verb as 'capitalize'.
Related word forms
How capitalise is actually used
'Capitalise' is the standard British English spelling; American English uses 'capitalize'. The figurative sense 'capitalise on' is common in journalism and business writing and can carry a slightly opportunistic connotation depending on context.
Easily confused with capitalise
'Capitalise' is the British spelling while 'capitalize' is the American spelling; they mean exactly the same thing.