Capitalize Definition – Meaning and Usage In A Sentence

People use the word “capitalize” all of the time. But, do they know the true “capitalize” definition and meaning? Are you probably among those struggling with “capitalize” usage in sentences? It’s not as hard as you think!

Capitalize is a verb that means “to put an importance on, exploit, turn to, or make something stand out more than usual. You can use “capitalize” in a sentence that shows how to seize an opportunity or when capitalizing a sentence, phrase, and much more.

This blog post will define “capitalize” and highlight the proper way to use it in a sentence. We’ll also give some examples to remember when to capitalize a word. So read on for all the details!

What Is the Definition of Capitalize?

The most common definition of “capitalize” is to take advantage of. In other words, taking something and making it more valuable.

There are a lot of things people can take advantage of. That is why the word applies across various subjects, from health, finance, technology to daily conversations. Note that in instances where “capitalize” is used, circumstances can either be positive or negative.

Whenever you capitalize on an opportunity, it means you are taking advantage of it. For example, if someone was out of a job and saw his neighbor’s car crash into the tree in their front yard, he could go over and offer his services as an auto mechanic to fix the car.

For example, in sentences, “The business was able to capitalize on the spike in demand for smartphones.” Or “The business is known to capitalize on trainee excitement and ignorance to generate more sales.” The first sentence shows how you can capitalize positively, and the second sentence as a negative perspective.

Capitalize Definition in Finance

You can also define “capitalize” as “raising money to finance something.” The definition applies whenever you have an existing or new business or project idea.

You can either do it alone, with partners through mutual arrangement and agreements, or rely on external assistance. For example, “The business was able to capitalize $4 million for the project.”

In finance, we can also use ‘capitalize’ when a company adds its assets to the balance sheet to turn expenses into something that will bring future revenue. For example, “JM Holdings now wants to capitalize on the cost of new equipment, supplies, and labor to increase chances of achieving the company’s 2030 vision.”

Also, when a corporation has to authorize some bonds and stocks in their charter, you can use the word ‘capitalize.’ It’s because you are allowing more capital into the business, something that’s very common with modern-day businesses.

What Is the Meaning of Capitalize?

To capitalize also means “turn to capital.” Simply put, to capitalize something is to make it worth more money or give it more power.

For example, in finance, when a business decides to turn an asset into capital by putting it up for sale rather than keeping it on its balance sheet because it’s not performing well. Or to take a poorly performing subsidiary and spin it off as a separate company so that the business’s net income is not lowered by its losses.

“Capitalize” can also mean increasing the amount of money on something by boosting its worth. For example, if someone wanted to sell their car but needed some work done on it, they might turn down a “good deal” because of how expensive the repairs would be. Since the car dealer took care of those high repair costs, they now want to capitalize on the opportunity to get the best deal.

In other words, when you capitalize something, you make it an item of importance, so people will pay attention to it more. But that doesn’t apply only when money is involved. Use the word in the everyday situation, provided it’s in context.

You can capitalize on your virtues and abilities to get an outcome you’ve always wanted. For example, if I told you to capitalize on your strengths, I would mean that you should focus on your strengths more than on your weaknesses.

Capitalize Meaning in Grammar

In most cases, capitalize can also mean printing or writing a word or letters in uppercase. You’ll hear this word a lot in grammar lessons.

For instance, when you are required to capitalize a word like Mathematics, you either write the first character in the capital letters or all the characters. However, in most cases, you only need to capitalize the first letter.

Use “capitalize” when you also mean to start a sentence with a capital letter. For example, “I am going to the store.” is correct, while “I am going to the store” would be incorrect because “i” is not the first word of the sentence. As mentioned earlier, there are other instances when you might need to capitalize a word.

How to Use Capitalize in a Sentence?

There are many instances of using “capitalize” provided it’s a verb. The meaning should also fit the context of the text, sentence, or paragraph.

Let’s look at how to use “capitalize” in sentences to help you understand the “capitalize” concept.

• She thought that the best way to make her title look more professional was to capitalize her names.
• The government wants to capitalize on the current political climate to increase taxes.
• Next year, the company will have to capitalize on its strong performance to invest in new equipment.
• I need to ask my wife whether I need to capitalize “crayons” or not.

10 Examples of Capitalize in a Sentence

In English grammar, there are a few rules that everyone seems to know. One of those rules is making sure the word usage complements the context. Here are ten examples of “capitalize” in a sentence to help you understand the rule and the word.

1. He had the temerity to use his position of power to capitalize off of vulnerable people that were less fortunate than him.
2. Many businesses capitalize on people’s desire to have a perfect life by marketing products that promise happiness and eternal youth.
3. I forgot to capitalize the first letter of my email address, so I had a lot of issues signing up for new websites.
4. She doesn’t like it when people capitalize words incorrectly, so she decided to make a game to help them remember how to spell correctly.
5. He wasn’t very happy with his performance review; he thinks management was trying to capitalize on the fact that he had some bad days recently.
6. The company is trying to capitalize on the recent economic downturn by getting rid of staff and cutting costs where it can.
7. We need to change our approach for this year because we missed out on many opportunities last year trying to capitalize.
8. In the late 1960s, radicals chose to capitalize on the public’s mistrust of the government to push their agenda and recruit new members.
9. The team failed to capitalize on the mistakes that their opponent made.
10. It makes me furious when I see people capitalize random words in sentences to make themselves look smarter.

How Do You Spell Capitalize?

The word “capitalize” is spelled as “cap-i-tal-ize.” In American English, you need to spell the word with a “z” instead of “s.” When spelling, put more stress on “cap.”

How Do You Pronounce Capitalize?

Capitalize is pronounced as ka-pə-tə-ˌliz.

Watch out for the sounds you focus on during the pronunciation. The best way is to pronounce “ca” and “pi” as ” ka-pə” with high stress and lower the intonation as you complete the pronunciation.

How Many Syllables Are in Capitalize?

Capitalize has 4 syllables. The syllables are divided into “cap-i-tal-ize” with emphasis on the first syllable.

Synonyms Of The Word “Capitalize”

• Profit
• Exploit
• Subsidize

Antonyms Of The Word “Capitalize”

• Lose
• Forfeit
• Misuse

History & Etymology of Capitalize

The word “capitalize” is a fairly recent derivative of “capital.” In its earliest uses, “capital” was used as an adjective to mean “relating to a capitol.” This adjective form dates back to 1572.

In 1605, another adjective form of “capital” appeared emerging from the noun capitalis, which meant “head.” The noun form capitalis referred to a letter written at the top of a document. It also meant the money that is deposited as security for a loan.

In the late 1600s, English speakers began using “capital” as an adjective to mean “worthy of one’s attention.” The change in usage also yielded a verb “capitalize” in the late 1700s.

When Was Capitalize First Used?

Capitalize was first used in 1764. Its use was in the business sense of “to make one’s money or assets available as capital.”

Conclusion

In summary, “capitalize” is a verb with multiple definitions. You can capitalize on an opportunity, meaning taking advantage of it. It can also mean to raise money to finance a business or project.” In accounting, “capitalize” means taking the company’s operating expenses and turning them into revenue. Finally, you can use “capitalize” to mean writing a word in uppercase.

We hope you found this article on “capitalize” definition, meaning, and use in sentences helpful! Let us know if there is any question or clarification that you may have. Thank you so much for reading!