Capital (disambiguation)

Capital is the following:

• A capital city (in many states the political, religious, and economic capital are the same):
  • In geography and politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital) of a country or other political entity is a city or town that contains the government. [N.B.: the phrase "political capital" has an alternative meaning, given below.]
  • In societies with official religions a capital is a religious capital.

• In finance and economics, capital is real or financial wealth.
  • [N.B.: "Political capital", by analogy, is a phrase used for the still-unclaimed favors a politician or lobbyist other political entity is owed in return for favors he or she or it has in the past done. For example, a factory seeking permits to expand might "call in" the political capital it has built up by years of donating to school-construction projects. Also "cultural capital" in the sense of cultural value.]

• Social capital and cultural capital are sociological terms.

• In architecture, the capital of a pillar or column is its top part.

• In orthography, a capital is another term for an upper case letter or majuscule.

• In literature, Capital is the English title of Das Kapital by Karl Marx.

• Capital is a French-language magazine.

• Capital punishment refers to death sentence.

Also, the term "capital" is often confused with the term capitol, which is the term used for certain buildings used to house the legislative body of a certain sovereignty.