per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈka-pə-tə How to pronounce per capita (audio)
1
: per unit of population : by or for each person
the highest income per capita of any state in the union
2
: equally to each individual

Examples of per capita in a Sentence

we expect the students to receive less funding per capita this year due to a marked increase in the school-age population
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s less than half of Connecticut’s per capita burden. Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 28 Nov. 2024 Ryan Murphy, communities reporter The brunch per capita index My family moved back to Indianapolis this summer after about five years in Columbus, Ohio. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Nov. 2024 From 1960 to the mid-1990s, per capita production rose sharply, peaking at 26.8 pounds per person in 1996. Jovi Dai, The Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2024 For instance, Spain’s current GDP per capita is a major problem. Jorge Lluch, Fortune Europe, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for per capita 

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, by heads

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of per capita was in 1682

Dictionary Entries Near per capita

Cite this Entry

“Per capita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per%20capita. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective
per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈkap-ət-ə How to pronounce per capita (audio)
: by or for each person
per capita income

Legal Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective
per cap·​i·​ta pər-ˈka-pə-tə How to pronounce per capita (audio)
1
: equally to each individual
all property to pass to the descendants per capita
used of a method of distributing an especially intestate estate
compare per stirpes

Note: Per capita distribution of an estate provides each descendant with an equal share of the estate's assets regardless of the degree of his or her kinship. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., all receive equal shares.

2
: per unit of population : by or for each individual
a high per capita tax burden
Etymology

Medieval Latin, by heads

More from Merriam-Webster on per capita

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!