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

• capitulating
• cession
• handover
• relinquishment
• rendition
• submission
• submitting
• surrender

Examples of capitulation in a Sentence

her sudden capitulation surprised everyone; she usually debated for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

Her answer could be a capitulation to moderate voters in response to scrutiny of how her position on fracking has changed over the years. —Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024

As billionaire Elon Musk’s clash with a Brazilian Supreme Court justice came to a head last week, there were legal twists, insults, ultimatums, defiance, and then, finally, capitulation. —David Biller, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2024

Republicans narrowly took the House nationwide, and then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi blamed Hochul for the Democratic capitulation. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 29 July 2024

Beauty, or our idea of it, is always rooted in deep desires, capitulations, and pathologies. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see capitulate

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1