capitulate

verb

ca·pit·u·late | \ kə-ˈpi-chə-ˌlāt

capitulated; capitulating

Definition of capitulate

intransitive verb

1a : to surrender often after negotiation of terms The enemy was forced to capitulate unconditionally.

b : to cease resisting : acquiesce The company capitulated to the labor union to avoid a strike.

2 archaic : parley, negotiate

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about capitulate

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Choose the Right Synonym for capitulate

yield, submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer mean to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist. yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty. yields too easily in any argument submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another. a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force. officials capitulated to the protesters' demands succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force. a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand. finally relented and let the children stay up late defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another. I defer to your expertise in these matters

Did You Know?

Capitulate and its synonyms "yield," "submit," and "succumb" all mean to give way to someone or something, with a few slight differences in emphasis. "Yield" may apply to any sort or degree of bowing to force, debate, or pleading ("yields too easily in any argument"). "Submit" suggests surrender, after resistance, to the will or control of another ("a sinner submitting to the will of God"). "Succumb" imputes weakness and helplessness to the person giving in, or an overwhelming power to the opposition ("succumbing to temptation"). "Capitulate" stresses the termination of all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms, as with an adversary, or hopelessness before an irresistible opposing force ("officials capitulated to the demands").

Examples of capitulate in a Sentence

The country still refuses to capitulate despite its weakening army and dwindling resources. The teacher refused to capitulate: no calculators were to be used during the exam.

Recent Examples on the Web

The ethics of making a movie about weight loss Is making a movie about a woman who wants to lose weight tantamount to capitulating to fat-shaming culture? — Sarah Todd, Quartzy, "Can you be body-positive and want to lose weight?," 4 Sep. 2019 Less than a day later, Cuban-American Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez made Miami the first—and, thus far, only—major city to voluntarily capitulate to Trump’s edict. — Ken Silverstein, The New Republic, "Shock Corridor," 19 Aug. 2019 But Dermer and Netanyahu were not disingenuous in saying that Israel had not capitulated to Trump so much as enforced its own laws. — Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, "By Barring Two Congresswomen, Trump and Netanyahu Set a Trap for Democrats," 18 Aug. 2019 The more conservatives who cower in fear and capitulate to intimidation, the more dangerous the situation will be for those who do courageously bear witness. — Christopher Tremoglie, National Review, "Conservatives Need Courage," 12 Aug. 2019 According to analysts with Eurasia Group, which advises investors on political risks, China President Xi Jinping is increasingly wary of being seen as capitulating to U.S. pressure. — CBS News, "Stocks dip as Trump raises doubts about China trade talks," 9 Aug. 2019 Pelosi then capitulated and agreed to join the moderates in her party in passing the Senate version of the $4.6 billion border funding bill. — William Cummings, USA TODAY, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib fire back at Nancy Pelosi's 'Twitter world' quip," 8 July 2019 But in 1972 the Boston Marathon directors capitulated and formally permitted women to run. — The Economist, "For women, running is still an act of defiance," 28 June 2019 Nissan yielded on that point, buying peace with Renault at Tuesday’s meeting—but also criticism from a shareholder who said Mr. Saikawa was giving Japan a reputation for capitulating to foreigners. — Sean Mclain, WSJ, "Nissan Shareholders Accuse Renault Chairman of Betrayal at Fiery Meeting," 25 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'capitulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for capitulate

capitulate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of capitulate

formal

: to stop fighting an enemy or opponent : to admit that an enemy or opponent has won

: to stop trying to fight or resist something : to agree to do or accept something that you have been resisting or opposing

See the full definition for capitulate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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capitulate

Definition of capitulate

Synonyms & Antonyms for capitulate

Choose the Right Synonym for capitulate

Did You Know?

Examples of capitulate in a Sentence

First Known Use of capitulate

History and Etymology for capitulate

English Language Learners Definition of capitulate

capitulate

Definition of capitulate

Synonyms & Antonyms for capitulate

Choose the Right Synonym for capitulate

Did You Know?

Examples of capitulate in a Sentence

First Known Use of capitulate

History and Etymology for capitulate

English Language Learners Definition of capitulate

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