capitulation

noun

ca·​pit·​u·​la·​tion kə-ˌpi-chə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: a set of terms or articles (see article sense 1c) constituting an agreement between governments

2

a

: the act of surrendering or yielding

the capitulation of the defenders of the besieged town

b

: the terms of surrender

Synonyms of capitulation

• surrender
• submission

Examples of capitulation in a Sentence

her sudden capitulation surprised everyone; she usually debated for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

That 28-point plan was rejected by critics as constituting a Ukrainian capitulation. —David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2025

Impact on the peace process The implications of this institutional capitulation to settlers’ interests extend far beyond the West Bank itself. —Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025

For Europeans, the latest peace proposal is an unconscionable capitulation to Vladimir Putin, rewarding him for invading a neighboring country. —Luke McGee, Time, 10 Dec. 2025

The psychological pressure is designed to force Taiwan’s capitulation without the need for military action, a strategy that appears to be paying off. —Andy Browne, semafor.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French capitulacion "division into parts, treaty, convention," borrowed from Medieval Latin capitulātiōn-, capitulātiō "dividing into chapters, drawing up heads of agreement" (Late Latin, "listing of subject headings"), from capitulum "heading or division of a document, chapter" + Latin -ātiōn-, -ātiō -ation

Note: The Latin noun is probably in part back-derived from rēcapitulātiō—see recapitulate. For sense development see note at capitulate.

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for capitulation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration