What does capitularly mean?
"Capitularly" is a rare and formal adverb meaning "in the manner of a chapter," where a chapter is a body of clergy—such as the dean and canons of a cathedral—that meets to govern its own affairs. When something is decided capitularly, it is determined by that collective body acting together under its own rules, rather than by an individual bishop or outside authority. The word derives from Latin caput ("head") via capitulum, the diminutive form meaning "little head" or "heading," which also gave English both "chapter" (of a book and of a religious community) and "capitulate." Because it belongs to the specialized vocabulary of ecclesiastical law and church history, capitularly appears almost exclusively in academic, legal, or historical prose. It carries a distinctly formal, institutional tone and has no place in everyday conversation. Writers encountering it should understand it as signaling collective clerical authority exercised through formal deliberation.
adverbIn a manner relating to a chapter, especially an ecclesiastical chapter; in a way done by or according to the decisions of such a chapter.
- Relating to or in the manner of an ecclesiastical chapter
"The new statutes were adopted capitularly at the autumn assembly of the cathedral clergy."
"The matter was settled capitularly, with the dean and canons voting together."
"Decisions made capitularly carried the authority of the whole chapter rather than any single cleric."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of capitularly
"Capitularly" derives from the Latin capitulum, a diminutive of caput meaning "head," which came to denote both a division of a text (a chapter) and the governing assembly of clergy known as a chapter. English took the related adjective "capitular" from medieval Latin capitularis, and the adverb was formed from it. Its cognates include "chapter" itself and "capitulate," which originally referred to agreeing under numbered heads or articles.
Related word forms
How capitularly is actually used
A rare, highly formal word used almost exclusively in discussions of church governance and canon law. It is unlikely to appear outside ecclesiastical or historical writing.
Easily confused with capitularly
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