capital
/ˈkæpɪtl/The city or town that is the official seat of government in a country or region.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States.
Paris is the capital of France.
This is the most common usage of 'capital' in a geographical context.
Wealth in the form of money or other assets owned by a person or organization.
The company has a large capital base to invest in new projects.
He used his capital to start a new business.
In finance, capital refers to financial assets that can be used to generate income or wealth.
The most important or valuable part of something.
The capital of the company is its talented workforce.
The capital of the team is their strong teamwork.
This usage is metaphorical and extends the financial sense of capital to other contexts.
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💡Pro Tip
Context Matters
The meaning of 'capital' depends heavily on the context. In a political or geographical context, it refers to a city, while in a financial context, it refers to wealth or assets.
⚡Gold Rule
Geographical vs. Financial
Always consider the context when using 'capital'. In a sentence about cities or governments, it refers to the seat of government, while in a sentence about money or business, it refers to financial assets.
📖Word Origin
From Old French 'capital', from Latin 'capitalis', meaning 'of the head', from 'caput' (head). The financial sense comes from the idea of capital as the 'head' or principal part of wealth.
📝Usage Notes
The word 'capital' can be used in both geographical and financial contexts. In geography, it refers to the seat of government, while in finance, it refers to wealth or assets. The metaphorical sense of 'capital' as the most important part of something is also common.