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
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) is the latest state sports organization to capitulate to President Donald Trump's recent executive order preventing trans athletes from competing in girls' sports.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
Various Disney employees are reportedly voicing discontent with the company’s recent decision to seemingly capitulate to President Donald Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DEI).
—James Factora, Them, 14 Feb. 2025
Doing so would likely generate backlash from CBS journalists and others who would see it as another major media organization capitulating to the president in hopes of currying favor.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 2025.
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capitulate
verb
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