What does capture mean?
Capture is a versatile English word meaning to take possession of, seize, or record something. Its most literal sense is physical: soldiers capture cities, police capture suspects, hunters capture animals. Over time the word broadened into figurative and technological territory, so we speak of capturing a moment on camera, capturing an audience's attention, or capturing data in software. As a noun, capture names either the act itself or the thing seized — a prisoner, a prize, or an image. The word carries connotations of decisiveness and success: what is captured has been won through skill, force, or timing. It appears constantly in journalism ('troops captured the capital'), photography ('the shot captured her joy perfectly'), and technology ('motion capture transformed animation'). Derived from Latin capere, 'to take,' it belongs to a large family of words including captive, caption, and capable. Few words bridge warfare, art, and computing so naturally.
To take possession or control of a person, place, or thing, especially by force or strategy; to record or represent something faithfully; to hold someone's interest completely.
"The army captured the fortress at dawn."
In modern usage, the recording sense (photographs, film, data) is as common as the physical seizure sense.
The act or process of capturing; the thing captured, such as a prize, prisoner, or recorded image.
"The capture of the enemy general turned the tide of the war."
Used mainly in contexts counting multiple seizures or recordings, e.g. sports statistics or military reports.
"The goalkeeper made five captures during the tournament."
Before cameras could 'capture' images, the word was busy describing armies seizing cities — photography simply borrowed an ancient military term.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of capture
Capture derives from the Latin verb capere, meaning 'to take' or 'to seize.' It entered English in the early 17th century, likely via French or directly from Latin, initially carrying strongly military connotations of seizing towns and ships. The same Latin root gave rise to a wide family of English words, including captive, captivate, caption, capable, and accept, all sharing the core idea of taking or receiving.
Related word forms
How capture is actually used
Fully standard in both British and American English across registers. In computing contexts, 'capture' has developed technical senses (screen capture, motion capture) that are now widespread. The figurative use — capturing hearts, imaginations, or moments — is extremely common in journalism and advertising.
Easily confused with capture
'Captive' is an adjective (or noun) describing someone held prisoner, while 'capture' is the verb or noun for the act of taking them.
'Captivate' means to charm or fascinate someone, whereas 'capture' means to seize or take hold of something.