Capitulation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of surrendering or agreeing to terms, especially under pressure or duress, or a document containing the terms of such an agreement
2. The action of ceasing resistance by accepting specified conditions often after negotiation or conflict
3. The formal process of conceding defeat by agreeing to stipulated terms set by an opposing party

Etymology: The idea behind "capitulation" is literally a matter of heads. Its ancestor is Latin "capitulum," a little head, which came from "caput," head, and that same root gave English "chapter," "chief" and "capital." Medieval Latin then used "capitulare" for drawing up a document in organized sections, or "chapters," and a surrender agreement was just such a document: a set of terms laid out point by point. The surrender itself came to be named after the paperwork rather than the act. The chain runs through Middle French "capitulation," which carried the sense of an agreement or treaty with articles set out under headings. Over time the word narrowed in English to the moment of yielding to an enemy on stated conditions. The suffix "-ion" marks it as a noun of action, formed from the verb "capitulate," so the word names the process of settling terms rather than the defeat alone.

Synonyms: surrender, yielding, submission, concession, relinquishment

Antonyms: resistance, defiance, persistence, opposition, fight