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
Elias Saratovsky, New York Daily News, 27 May 2024
Would that more institutions took that stand, instead of capitulating to a dishonest, braying mob.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2024
Months of protests and hundreds of arrests followed, until the university finally capitulated.
—Charles Homans Gabra Zackman Anna Diamond Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 29 May 2024
The Columbia situation, explained:Alumni pressure and a crime-fighting mayor helped set the stage for another round of arrests
Administrators eventually capitulated to the students' demands and Columbia’s commencement ceremony took place that year, though it was held several blocks from campus.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Capitulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitulate. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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capitulate
verb
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