capitalize
Translation
to capitalize, to capitalize on, to fund
Examples
You should capitalise the first letter of a sentence.
You should capitalize the first letter of a sentence.
The team capitalised on the opponent's mistake.
The team capitalized on the opponent's mistake.
The business was capitalised with a large investment.
The business was capitalized with a large investment.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to write (sth.) with a capital letter You must capitalize all proper nouns.
((on sth.)) to take advantage of (sth.) The company capitalized on the new trend.
((sth.)) ((with sth.)) to provide (a company) with (money) The start-up was capitalized with venture funds.
Similar Words
Etymology
From 'capital', meaning 'head' or 'chief'. This extends to the 'head' letter of a word (a capital letter), making the most of an opportunity, or providing a business with its main funds (capital).
Memory Tips
Think of 'making something capital': making a letter big, making an opportunity into a big gain, or making a business big with money.