capitalize
UK[ˈkæp.ɪ.təl.aɪz]US[ˈkæp.ə.t̬əl.aɪz]
v
to write or print a letter of the alphabet as a capital, or to write or print the first letter of a word as a capital
v
to supply money to a business so that it can operate or develop, or to calculate the value of a business based on the amount of money invested and its expected future earnings
v
to take advantage of a situation in order to get a benefit
Morpheme Breakdown
capital
ize
capital
head, wealth
ize
verb-forming suffix
Etymology
the verb 'capitalize' is built upon the noun 'capital', which traces its lineage to the latin caput, meaning 'head'. in ancient roman law, caput referred to a person's life or civil status, and capitalis pertained to matters of life and death, hence 'of the head'. this evolved metaphorically to signify what is chief or principal, and later, in the financial realm, the principal sum of money—the 'head' or source of wealth. the suffix '-ize', a prolific verb-maker from greek, was attached to this root, creating a verb that literally means 'to make into capital' or 'to treat as principal'. this core idea branched into its modern meanings: converting letters to their 'head' or uppercase form, providing a business with its principal funds, and figuratively, making the most of a principal opportunity.
Analysis
Structure: capital (head, wealth) + ize (verb-forming suffix)
capital: from latin capitalis (of the head, chief, principal), from caput (head). functions as the core semantic root, carrying the senses of 'head', 'principal', and 'wealth'.
ize: from greek -izein via latin -izare and french -iser. a verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make, to become, to practice'.
Examples
remember to capitalize the first letter of each sentence.
the company was capitalized with an initial investment of two million dollars.
the opposing team capitalized on our defensive error to score the winning goal.