Capitol Hill

noun

: the legislative branch of the U.S. government

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Capital and Capitol: Which One to Use Where

What a pair these are: they sound identical and look nearly identical and both have meanings that relate to government. Mastering their use, however, is simple.

The key is this: capitol, the one with an "o," is very limited in use. It appears in the term Capitol Hill, and is used to refer to one very particular and famous building, to some other similar buildings, and, occasionally, to a group of buildings that includes those similar buildings. For all other meanings, the word you want is capital.

This means that in a state's capital city is a building or group of buildings properly referred to with the word capitol, with an "o." In this use capitol is synonymous with statehouse: both refer to the building or group of buildings where a state legislature meets. The phrase capital city utilizes capital because it refers to a city, not to a building or group of buildings.

Capitol with a capital "C" refers to the particular building in Washington, D.C. where the U.S. Congress meets. It often appears before other nouns in phrases like the Capitol building and Capitol police, and is very frequently used in the term Capitol Hill, which refers both to the legislative branch of the United States government as well as to the location of the Capitol building. The Capitol, like many state capitol buildings, has a rounded dome that is somewhat reminiscent of the top of an "o," which may help some remember the "o" spelling. Note that the word capital as used to describe an uppercase letter, like in the phrase capital "C", utilizes capital.

The word capital has three distinct homographs, two for noun uses and one for adjective uses. Readers should consult those entries for the various meanings of capital, but can be assured that they all end in al, rather than ol.

Examples of Capitol Hill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On April 17, McMillen hosted a Booker fundraiser at his Capitol Hill home, which Baker and Luck attended in person, and Yormark joined virtually. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics, with a focus on elections and Capitol Hill. Sara Dorn, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 In Florida, a Spanish-speaking former congresswoman is running against one of Donald Trump's most loyal allies on Capitol Hill. Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024 Photograph by Genna Martin Sure, all four women living at WOW House are technically senior citizens, but their five-bedroom Craftsman home in Seattle’s Capitol Hill is not an old-age home. Belle Cushing, Bon Appétit, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Capitol Hill 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Capitol Hill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Capitol Hill, Washington, site of the U.S. Capitol

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Capitol Hill was in 1935

Dictionary Entries Near Capitol Hill

Cite this Entry

“Capitol Hill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Capitol%20Hill. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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