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”).
Synonyms
Examples of capitulate in a Sentence
Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022
Salt Lake capitulates In what can only be described as another example of the pompous and megalomaniac nature of the International Olympic Committee, the IOC forced Salt Lake City to turn against its own country in order to secure the bid for the 2034 Winter Olympics.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
Few politicians have so thoroughly capitulated and subjugated themselves to Trump in the hopes of advancing their own political careers.
—Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2024
Continue reading … 'BENT THE KNEE' – JD Vance accuses Kamala Harris of capitulating to left-wing mob with VP pick.
—Fox News, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for capitulate 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'capitulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near capitulate
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“Capitulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitulate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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capitulate
verb
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