capital
/ˈkæpɪtəl/ noun A2- Money and wealth: the means to acquire or produce goods and services, especially in a non-barter system. · Near-synonym: assets· He does not have enough capital to start a business.
- Already-produced durable goods available for use as a factor of production, such as tools and bulldozers (equipment) and office buildings (structures). · Near-synonym: assets· He pointed out that it takes both labour and capital to produce goods.
- The capitalist class; capital owners considered collectively as a politically influential group — commonly represented by wealthy individuals and private institutional investors. · The markets crashing symbolized capital’s discontent with the tax reforms passed.· He warned us darkly that capital will never be sated.
- A city designated as a legislative seat by the government or some other authority, often the city in which the government is located; otherwise the most important city within a country or a subdivision of it. · Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States of America.· The Welsh government claims that Cardiff is Europe’s youngest capital.
- The most important city in the field specified.
- An uppercase letter.
- Knowledge; awareness; proficiency. · Interpreters need a good amount of cultural capital in order to function efficiently in the profession.
- The chief or most important thing.
Plural capitals
From the library
I have some smuggled coffee and most capital tobacco, in a small chest in the hold, which you shall have tomorrow.
In a fit of anger, however, caused by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house, he beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital sentence.
Capital!
“Ah, yes,” continued Caderousse, “and capital offers, too; but you know, you will be captain, and who could refuse you then?”
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