Capital (?), a. [F. capital, L. capitalis capital (in senses 1 & 2), fr. caput head. See Chief, and cf. Capital, n.] 1. Of or pertaining to the head. [Obs.]
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Needs must the Serpent now his capital bruise
Expect with mortal pain. Milton.
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2. Having reference to, or involving, the forfeiture of the head or life; affecting life; punishable with death; as, capital trials; capital punishment.
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Many crimes that are capital among us. Swift.
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To put to death a capital offender. Milton.
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3. First in importance; chief; principal.
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A capital article in religion Atterbury.
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Whatever is capital and essential in Christianity. I. Taylor.
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4. Chief, in a political sense, as being the seat of the general government of a state or nation; as, Washington and Paris are capital cities.
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5. Of first rate quality; excellent; as, a capital speech or song. [Colloq.]
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Capital letter [F, lettre capitale] (Print.), a leading or heading letter, used at the beginning of a sentence and as the first letter of certain words, distinguished, for the most part, both by different form and larger size, from the small (lower-case) letters, which form the greater part of common print or writing. -- Small capital letters have the form of capital letters and height of the body of the lower-case letters. -- Capital stock, money, property, or stock invested in any business, or the enterprise of any corporation or institution. Abbott.

Syn. -- Chief; leading; controlling; prominent.
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