Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Capitulate

Ca-pit′u-late

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Capitulated
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Capitulating
.]
[LL.
capitulatus
, p. p. of
capitulare
to capitulate: cf. F.
capituler
. See
Capitular
,
Noun.
]
1.
To settle or draw up the heads or terms of an agreement, as in chapters or articles; to agree.
[Obs.]
There
capitulates
with the king . . . to take to wife his daughter Mary.
Heylin.
There is no reason why the reducing of any agreement to certain heads or capitula should not be called to
capitulate
.
Trench.
2.
To surrender on terms agreed upon (usually, drawn up under several heads);
as, an army or a garrison
capitulates
.
The Irish, after holding out a week,
capitulated
.
Macaulay.

Ca-pit′u-late

,
Verb.
T.
To surrender or transfer, as an army or a fortress, on certain conditions.
[R.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Capitulate

CAPITULATE

, v.i.
1.
To draw up a writing in chapters, heads or articles. [But this sense is not usual.]
2.
To surrender, as an army or garrison, to an enemy, by treaty, in which the terms of surrender are specified and agreed to by the parties. The term is applicable to a garrison or to the inhabitants of a besieged place, or to an army or troops in any situation in which they are subdued or compelled to submit to a victorious enemy.

Definition 2024


capitulate

capitulate

See also: capitoulate

English

Verb

capitulate (third-person singular simple present capitulates, present participle capitulating, simple past and past participle capitulated)

  1. (obsolete) To draw up in chapters; to enumerate.
  2. (obsolete) To draw up the articles of treaty with; to treat, bargain, parley.
    • Heylin
      there capitulates with the king [] to take to wife his daughter Mary
  3. To surrender; to end all resistance, to give up; to go along with or comply.
    He argued and hollered for so long that I finally capitulated just to make him stop.
    • Macaulay
      The Irish, after holding out a week, capitulated.

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations