capture
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take by force or stratagem; take prisoner; seize.
The police captured the burglar.
- Antonyms:
- release
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to gain control of or exert influence over.
an ad that captured our attention;
a TV show that captured 30% of the prime-time audience.
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to take possession of, as in a game or contest.
to capture a pawn in chess.
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to represent or record in lasting form.
The movie succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of Berlin in the 1930s.
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Computers.
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to enter (data) into a computer for processing or storage.
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to record (data) in preparation for such entry.
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noun
-
the act of capturing.
- Synonyms:
- apprehension, arrest, seizure
- Antonyms:
- release
-
the thing or person captured.
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Physics. the process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle.
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Crystallography. substitution in a crystal lattice of a trace element for an element of lower valence.
verb
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to take prisoner or gain control over
to capture an enemy
to capture a town
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(in a game or contest) to win control or possession of
to capture a pawn in chess
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to succeed in representing or describing (something elusive)
the artist captured her likeness
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physics (of an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus) to acquire (an additional particle)
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to insert or transfer (data) into a computer
noun
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the act of taking by force; seizure
-
the person or thing captured; booty
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physics a process by which an atom, molecule, ion, or nucleus acquires an additional particle
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Also called: piracy. geography the process by which the headwaters of one river are diverted into another through erosion caused by the second river's tributaries
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the act or process of inserting or transferring data into a computer
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have capturedperfect
-
has capturedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been capturingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is capturingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are capturingprogressive
-
have been capturingperfect progressive
-
am capturingprogressive 1st person singular
-
capturessingular 3rd person
-
capturingparticiple
Past
-
had capturedperfect
-
had been capturingperfect progressive
-
was capturingprogressive singular
-
were capturingprogressive plural
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capturedsimple
-
capturedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of capture
First recorded in 1535–45; from Middle French, from Latin captūra, equivalent to capt(us) “taken” (past participle of capere “to take”) + -ūra -ure
Explanation
The verb to capture means to grab, trap, or take something that doesn't want to be grabbed, trapped, or taken. Hunters, pirates, and kidnappers all capture the things they want. If you want that tiger, you're going to have to capture him, either by setting a trap or shooting him. Either way, his capture won't be easy. You can also capture a photograph of something — which, while it doesn't mean taking it against its will, is still a kind of taking in which the thing itself is not participating. The pirate captured his hostages, while his hostages captured the scene on their cell-phone video cameras.
Vocabulary lists containing capture
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 1
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Words Every Pirate Should Know
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Lennar is positioned better than at any point in recent history to capture demand as conditions normalize.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Woodman rang the bell on the Nasdaq trading floor, and the company touted its products as a way to enable "people to capture their life's passions in ways they could have never done before."
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
Together, these capture both direct Hormuz movements and Gulf of Oman-linked flows that may involve “dark” transits, shuttle tanker movements or offshore transfers, Smith said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Their biodegradable nature could allow the technology to fit into a broader circular economy model, reducing waste while continuing to provide value after the beads are retired from carbon capture use.
From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026
They could capture it and leave the jungle, well before Father Olufemi’s hunting party came.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
