capitation: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal / Technical
Quick answer
What does “capitation” mean?
A tax or fee that is the same for every person.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tax or fee that is the same for every person; a payment or grant of a fixed amount per person.
A method of payment, especially in healthcare or education, where a provider receives a fixed periodic amount for each enrolled individual assigned to them, regardless of the actual services used. It's a per-head charge or system of funding.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In healthcare contexts, the term is more prevalent in American English, describing a core payment model for HMOs. In British English, it's strongly associated with historical 'capitation grants' for schools and with the historical 'poll tax'.
Connotations
UK: Often negative historical connotations (poll tax, unfair flat-rate charges). US: More neutral technical/business connotation (a standard healthcare/business payment model).
Frequency
Higher frequency in American professional healthcare/business discourse. In British English, used in historical/policy discussions.
Grammar
How to Use “capitation” in a Sentence
N/A (Noun only; used in prepositional phrases: 'payment by capitation', 'a capitation of...')Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “capitation” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- General practices are capitated by the NHS for registered patients.
American English
- The insurer capitates the medical group for its enrolled members.
adverb
British English
- The clinic is funded capitationally, not per procedure.
American English
- Payments are made capitationally each month.
adjective
British English
- The capitation funding model is under review.
American English
- We moved to a capitation-based payment system.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
A healthcare company receives a monthly capitation from insurers for each patient enrolled.
Academic
The study compared health outcomes under capitation and fee-for-service reimbursement models.
Everyday
The school's funding is partly based on a capitation grant linked to pupil numbers. (UK)
Technical
The risk adjustment model is applied to the base capitation rate to account for patient morbidity.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “capitation”
Strong
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “capitation”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “capitation”
- Confusing 'capitation' with 'capitalation' (surrender).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'to capitate' is rare and technical).
- Misspelling as 'capitulation'.
- Assuming it means a large ('capital') sum.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially yes. 'Capitation' is the specific term for the system or the fee itself, while 'per capita' is a Latin phrase meaning 'per head' used more generally in statistics and economics.
It can create an incentive for providers to undertreat patients, as they receive the same fixed fee whether they provide extensive care or minimal care.
No, it is a low-frequency word. You will encounter it mainly in specific professional fields like healthcare policy, public financing, or historical texts.
The word comes from the Late Latin 'capitātiōn-', stemming from 'caput' meaning 'head'. So, it literally relates to a 'head count' or charge per head.
A tax or fee that is the same for every person.
Capitation is usually formal / technical in register.
Capitation: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkapɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkæpɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “N/A”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of CAPitation = CAP per HEAD. A CAP (limit/fixed amount) for each HEAD (person).
Conceptual Metaphor
PEOPLE ARE UNITS (to be counted and charged uniformly).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'capitation' most commonly used in modern American English?