What does uncapitalized mean?
Uncapitalized means that something is written, printed, or styled without capital letters. The word is especially common when discussing headings, labels, brand names, and other text that lacks an initial capital, but it can also describe an entire passage set in lower-case type. In everyday usage, the important distinction is between the absence of capital letters and the presence of lower-case letters: saying that something is uncapitalized does not necessarily imply that it has been converted to a particular type style. The related verb use means to remove capital letters or render text without them, although this function is less frequent than the adjective. Uncapitalized is also useful when exact capitalization is significant, as in headings, quotations, names, and displayed labels. It appears in both American and British English, with “uncapitalised” serving as the usual British spelling variant.
Written, printed, or styled without capital letters, especially without an initial capital.
"The stylized company name is deliberately uncapitalized."
Common in editorial, typographic, and design contexts; it may be used attributively before words such as “letter,” “text,” and “heading.”
To remove capital letters from text or render it without capital letters.
"The conversion tool can uncapitalize an entire line of text."
This verb form is less common in general use than the adjective.
Sometimes one uncapitalized letter can matter more than the rest of the sentence combined.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does uncapitalized come from?
The word was formed by combining the prefix un- with capitalized, meaning “written in capitals.” Capitalized in turn comes from capital plus the suffix -ize. The noun capital entered Middle English from Old French and ultimately derives from Latin capitalis, originally associated with the head and later extended to mean principal or chief.
Related word forms
How uncapitalized is actually used
This term is chiefly used in typography, publishing, and editorial contexts. The spelling “uncapitalised” is a common British alternative, while “uncapitalized” is standard in American English and is widely accepted in British English as well.
Easily confused with uncapitalized
“Uncapitalized” focuses on the absence of capital letters, while “lowercase” specifically identifies letters belonging to the lower case or smaller type.