What does capitol mean?
A capitol is a building that serves as the meeting place of a legislative body — most famously the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, home to Congress, but also any of the buildings housing individual American state legislatures. The term is chiefly American: other English-speaking countries use words like 'parliament' or 'assembly' for their equivalents. The word derives from the Latin 'Capitolium,' the temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill, and entered English in the early modern period. Because it is so often confused with 'capital' — which denotes a city, wealth, or a letter form — writers are advised to remember that only 'capitol' names a building where lawmakers gather. In formal usage, the word is typically capitalized when naming a particular structure, as in 'the Capitol' or 'the Colorado State Capitol.'
nounA building in which a legislative body meets; in the United States, specifically the building housing the US Congress in Washington, DC, or a state legislature's building.
- A building where a legislative body meets, especially one housing a state legislature or, in Washington, DC, the US Congress.
"Tourists gathered on the steps of the Capitol to watch the inauguration."
"The state capitol building in Sacramento houses both chambers of the California legislature."
"Protesters marched to the Capitol to voice their opposition to the new bill."
The plural is regular and most commonly appears when referring collectively to several such buildings, such as those of different states.
"The architect designed capitols for three different states during his career."
The word 'capitol' traces back not to a city but to a hill — Rome's Capitoline Hill, where the ancient temple of Jupiter once stood.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of capitol
The word 'capitol' comes from the Latin 'Capitolium,' the name of the great temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus that stood on the Capitoline Hill (Mons Capitolinus) in ancient Rome — the religious and symbolic heart of the Roman state. English borrowed the term in the late sixteenth century, initially referring to the Roman temple itself. When the United States was designing its federal seat of government in the 1790s, the name was deliberately adopted for the building housing Congress, echoing Rome's civic symbolism; state legislatures followed suit with their own capitols. Related words sharing the same Latin root include 'Capitoline' (of the Roman hill) and derivatives such as 'per capita' and 'capitation.'
How capitol is actually used
In American English, 'capitol' is almost always capitalized when referring to a specific building ('the Capitol', 'the Texas State Capitol'). It is primarily an American term; British usage favors 'parliament' or 'Houses of Parliament' for equivalent buildings. The lowercase generic sense is rare.
Easily confused with capitol
'Capital' refers to a city or wealth/resources (or a letter form), while 'capitol' refers specifically to a legislative building.