capitulate
verb
Did you know?
We hope you’ll acquiesce to some history about capitulate because we can’t resist. When it first entered English in the 16th century, capitulate meant “to discuss terms with an enemy; to negotiate.” Its Latin source is more bookshelf than battlefield: the Medieval Latin word capitulare means “to distinguish [text] by chapters or headings,” as well as “to stipulate in an agreement.” The original “negotiate” sense of capitulate is now rarely heard, and today capitulate typically stresses surrender, whether to agreed-upon terms or in hopelessness before an irresistible opposing force (as in “team owners capitulated to the demands of the players’ union”).
Examples of capitulate in a Sentence
Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
The firm cut its losses by capitulating, not fighting.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
In his first five episodes, Newsom has mostly capitulated to right-wing guests, agreeing with them on issues such as trans women competing in sports and the vilification of white men.
—David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
That said, publicly accusing Zelenskyy of not capitulating to Putin’s nuclear threats only encourages Putin to make them again and perhaps even carry them out.
—Anthony Lake, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capitulate
Cite this Entry
“Capitulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitulate. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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capitulate
verb
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