capitol
B2formal, political
Definition
Meaning
The building where a legislative body (especially the U.S. Congress) meets.
Refers specifically to the building housing a legislature, distinct from the concept of a capital city.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always refers to a physical building. Capital (city) and capitol (building) are distinct concepts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
"Capitol" is rarely used in British English; "Parliament" or "Houses of Parliament" are standard. In American English, "Capitol" refers specifically to the U.S. Congress building in Washington, D.C., or to state legislature buildings.
Connotations
In American usage, carries strong connotations of U.S. government, democracy, and political power.
Frequency
High frequency in American political contexts; very low frequency in British English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [legislature] meets in the capitol.They visited the [state] capitol.Protests occurred outside the Capitol.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on Capitol Hill”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used except in political consulting or government relations.
Academic
Used in political science, history, and American studies contexts.
Everyday
Used when discussing U.S. politics, school trips, or news about government.
Technical
Used in architecture (capitol architecture) and political geography.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable as an adjective.
American English
- Capitol police secure the perimeter.
- The Capitol tour is fully booked.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The capitol is a big building.
- We saw the capitol on our trip.
- The tour of the state capitol was interesting.
- The U.S. Capitol is in Washington, D.C.
- Protesters gathered outside the capitol building to demand legislative action.
- The governor gave his annual address in the historic state capitol.
- The architecture of the Victorian-era capitol reflects the state's wealth during that period.
- Lobbyists spend much of their time on Capitol Hill, attempting to influence legislation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Capitol has an 'O' like the dome of the building. Capital has an 'A' like the 'A' in city.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE GOVERNMENT IS A BUILDING (e.g., 'the wheels of government turn slowly in the Capitol').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'capital' (столица). 'Capitol' — это только здание.
- В российском контексте прямого эквивалента нет; это конкретное американское понятие.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'capital' to refer to the building (e.g., 'They protested at the capital').
- Capitalizing when not referring to the specific U.S. building (e.g., 'the texas capitol' should be 'the Texas Capitol').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'capitol' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Capital' refers to a city that serves as the seat of government or to financial assets. 'Capitol' refers specifically to the building where a legislature meets.
It is capitalized when referring to the specific building of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. (the Capitol), or to a specific state building (e.g., the Texas Capitol). It is lowercased when used generically (e.g., 'a state capitol building').
The term is predominantly American. Other countries have buildings with different names (e.g., Parliament, Diet, National Assembly). However, the word can be used descriptively for similar legislature buildings elsewhere.
It is the metonym for the U.S. Congress and the neighborhood in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Capitol building is located.