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

Other leaders, too, have described talking to allies on Capitol Hill who were shocked to learn that the cash had been cut off. —Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 8 Feb. 2025

The conventional wisdom holds that very little can get done on Capitol Hill during election years like this one, as legislators stake out positions aimed at garnering votes, rather than racking up legislative accomplishments. —Lee Hamilton, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

On Capitol Hill, Musk’s assault on the bureaucracy has set up a battle with Democrats that could determine the future of the government and the balance of power within it. —Simon Shuster, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025

During a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators Thursday on Capitol Hill Netanyahu raised his idea of ending the war in exchange for Hamas giving up power in Gaza and their leadership going into exile, sources with knowledge of the meeting said. —Barak Ravid, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above