4 N‑COUNT The capital of a country is the city or town where its government or parliament meets. □ [+ of ] …Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
5 N‑COUNT If a place is the capital of a particular industry or activity, it is the place that is most famous for it, because it happens in that place more than anywhere else. □ [+ of ] Colmar has long been considered the capital of the wine trade. □ [+ of ] …New York, the fashion capital of the world.
6 N‑COUNT Capitals or capital letters are written or printed letters in the form which is used at the beginning of sentences or names. 'T', 'B', and 'F' are capitals. □ The name and address are written in capitals.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] A capital offence is one that is so serious that the person who commits it can be punished by death. □ Espionage is a capital offence in this country. □ …Americans wrongly convicted of capital crimes.
8 → see also working capital
9 PHRASE If you say that someone is making capital out of a situation, you disapprove of the way they are gaining an advantage for themselves through other people's efforts or bad luck. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He rebuked the President for trying to make political capital out of the hostage situation.
ca pi|tal ac|cou nt (capital accounts )
1 N‑COUNT A country's capital account is the part of its balance of payments that is concerned with the movement of capital.
2 N‑COUNT A capital account is a financial statement showing the capital value of a company on a particular date. [BUSINESS ]
ca pi|tal gai ns N‑PLURAL Capital gains are the profits that you make when you buy something and then sell it again at a higher price. [BUSINESS ] □ He called for the reform of capital gains tax.
ca pi|tal goods N‑PLURAL Capital goods are used to make other products. Compare consumer goods . [BUSINESS ]
ca pi|tal i n|flow (capital inflows ) N‑VAR In economics, capital inflow is the amount of capital coming into a country, for example in the form of foreign investment. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ into ] …a large drop in the capital inflow into America.
ca pital-inte nsive ADJ Capital-intensive industries and businesses need the investment of large sums of money. Compare labour-intensive . [BUSINESS ]
capi|tal|ise /kæ p I təla I z/ → see capitalize
capi|tal|ism /kæ p I təl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Capitalism is an economic and political system in which property, business, and industry are owned by private individuals and not by the state. □ …the return of capitalism to Hungary.
capi|tal|ist /kæ p I təl I st/ (capitalists )
1 ADJ A capitalist country or system supports or is based on the principles of capitalism. □ I'm a strong believer in the capitalist system. □ …capitalist economic theory.
2 N‑COUNT A capitalist is someone who believes in and supports the principles of capitalism. □ …relations between capitalists and workers.
3 N‑COUNT A capitalist is someone who owns a business which they run in order to make a profit for themselves. □ In general, industrialization relied heavily on private capitalists, who built the new factories and offices.
capi|tal|ist|ic /kæ p I təl I st I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Capitalistic means supporting or based on the principles of capitalism. □ …the forces of capitalistic greed. □ …capitalistic economic growth.
capi|tal|ize /kæ p I təla I z/ (capitalizes , capitalizing , capitalized ) in BRIT, also use capitalise 1 VERB If you capitalize on a situation, you use it to gain some advantage for yourself. □ [V + on/upon ] The rebels seem to be trying to capitalize on the public's discontent with the government.
2 VERB In business, if you capitalize something that belongs to you, you sell it in order to make money. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] Our intention is to capitalize the company by any means we can. □ [be V -ed + at ] The company will be capitalized at £2 million. ● capi|tali|za|tion /kæ p I təla I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …a massive capitalization programme.
ca pi|tal le t|ter (capital letters ) N‑COUNT Capital letters are the same as capitals .
ca pi|tal pu n|ish|ment N‑UNCOUNT Capital punishment is punishment which involves the legal killing of a person who has committed a serious crime such as murder. □ Most democracies have abolished capital punishment.
ca|pitu|late /kəp I tʃʊle I t/ (capitulates , capitulating , capitulated ) VERB If you capitulate , you stop resisting and do what someone else wants you to do. □ [V ] The club eventually capitulated and now grants equal rights to women. □ [V + to ] In less than two hours Cohen capitulated to virtually every demand.
ca|pon /ke I pən/ (capons ) N‑COUNT A capon is a male chicken that has had its sex organs removed and has been specially fattened up to be eaten.
cap|puc|ci|no /kæ pətʃiː noʊ/ (cappuccinos ) N‑UNCOUNT Cappuccino is coffee which is made using milk and has froth and sometimes powdered chocolate on top. ● N‑COUNT A cappuccino is a cup of cappuccino.
ca|price /kæpriː s/ (caprices ) N‑VAR A caprice is an unexpected action or decision which has no strong reason or purpose. [FORMAL ] □ I lived in terror of her sudden caprices and moods.
ca|pri|cious /kæpr I ʃəs/ ADJ Someone who is capricious often changes their mind unexpectedly. □ The Union accused him of being capricious and undemocratic.
Cap|ri|corn /kæ pr I kɔː r n/ (Capricorns )