Capitol vs Capital? What is the difference? 

Vocabulary / By

The words capitol and Capital are two of the most commonly mixed-up words in the English language. Capital refers to either one’s accumulated wealth or the location of a government seat. Capitol, on the other hand, refers to a physical building.  

Both words capitol and capital are used when talking about politics and government and are commonly used wrongly. Continue reading on to learn more about capital versus capitol and how to use each word properly in a sentence.

Capital as a Noun

The word Capital as a noun is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the most important city in a town or state. A city’s Capital is usually the seat of the city where most government business is conducted. Washington D.C. is the Capital of the United States.

You can also use the word capital as a noun referring to wealth in the form of money or owning assets. Capital is most often used when talking about financial decisions, investing, and starting a company.

Capital as an Adjective

The word capital can also be used as an adjective. The accepted definition of the adjective capital is ‘an offense or charge’ or ‘a letter of the alphabet. When referring to an offense or charge, capital is most often found in front of ‘murder’ in the American judicial system. Capital is also used to specify a letter of the alphabet.

Using Capital in a Sentence

Because there are several different definitions of capital, there are many ways that the word can be used in a sentence. Here are a few examples of how to use the word capital correctly.

  • Our Nation’s Capital was attacked last year, and the perpetrators have yet to be caught.
  • Paris, the capital of France, was very overcrowded the last time we went there for vacation.
  • In the United States, murder is a capital offense and is punishable by death.
  • You will need a lot of capital in order to start a McDonald’s franchise.
  • Do you think you can raise enough capital to get the business started?

Capitol as a Noun

The word capitol is a noun that describes the physical building of American branches of government. Capitol buildings can be found in almost every town and city throughout the United States. The Capitol is the building where politicians meet and conduct governmental affairs.

How to Use Capitol in a Sentence

In order to remember which spelling of the word to use, remember that capitol refers to a building you can walk inside of. Here are some examples of how to use capitol in a sentence.

  • The Legislature met at the Capitol building downtown today.
  • Congress is meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington to decide on the bill today.
  • Meet me at the capitol building and we will go in together.

Capitol vs Capital money?

We use “capital” when we are talking about money and assets.

  • The company has enough capital to survive the crisis.

 

Conor
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