capital
/ˈkæpɪtl/the city or town that is the official seat of government for a country or region
Paris is the capital of France.
This means Paris is the political and administrative center of France.
The term can also refer to the capital city of a state or province within a country.
wealth in the form of money or other assets owned by a person or organization
The company has significant capital invested in new technology.
This means the company has allocated a large amount of money or resources to developing new technology.
In finance, capital can refer to financial assets, physical assets, or human capital (skills and knowledge).
a large letter at the beginning of a word or sentence
In English, the first letter of a sentence is always capitalized.
This means the first letter of a sentence should be written in uppercase.
This usage is specific to written language and typography.
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💡Pro Tip
Context Matters
The meaning of 'capital' depends heavily on the context in which it is used. Pay attention to whether it is being used in a geographical, financial, or grammatical sense.
⚡Gold Rule
Geographical vs. Financial
When 'capital' refers to a city, it is typically written with a capital letter (e.g., 'Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States'). When referring to financial assets, it is usually lowercase unless it starts a sentence.
📖Word Origin
From Old French 'capital', from Latin 'capitalis', meaning 'of the head', from 'caput' (head). Originally referred to the head of a column or the principal part of something.
📝Usage Notes
The word 'capital' has multiple meanings depending on context. In geography, it refers to a city; in finance, it refers to wealth or assets; and in grammar, it refers to uppercase letters.