capitalise

IPA/ˈkæp.ɪ.təl.aɪz/
IPA/ˈkæp.ə.t̬əl.aɪz/

capitalise — verb

  • capitalisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • capitalises3rd person singular
  • capitalising-ing form
  • capitalisedpast simple

1. when you follow English spelling rules by giving certain written characters thei

1.動詞及物A2
釋義

when you follow English spelling rules by giving certain written characters their uppercase form — such as the opening character of a sentence, a person's given name, or a geographical name — instead of using their smaller form.

例句

Jenna always capitalises the first word of every sentence in her school essays.

capitalise + noun phrase (first word of every sentence)

In German grammar, all nouns are capitalised, which can be confusing for new learners.

passive: nouns are capitalised

同義詞
  • write in capitals

    less formal; describes the physical act of writing in all uppercase letters

  • use uppercase

    technical term common in computing and design contexts

  • capitalize

    American English spelling; identical meaning

反義詞

文法句型

capitalise + noun phrase

用法筆記

This sense follows British spelling conventions (capitalise, capitalised, capitalising). In American English the forms capitalize, capitalized, capitalizing are standard. Common in spelling guides and classroom instructions.

常見錯誤

❌Please capitulate the first letter of the sentence.
✅Please capitalise the first letter of the sentence.
💡'capitulate' means to surrender; 'capitalise' means to write in uppercase.
❌The teacher asked us to capitalise every word in the title.
✅The teacher asked us to capitalise the first letter of each important word in the title.
💡In English titles, function words (a, an, the, in, of) are not capitalised unless they are the first or last word.

2. to provide the money that a business or project needs in order to start operatin

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to provide the money that a business or project needs in order to start operating, grow, or continue functioning — for example, when an investor gives a startup enough cash to buy equipment and hire staff.

例句

The regional bank agreed to capitalise the start-up with a loan of two million pounds.

capitalise + [business] + with + [funding source]

A young company is often capitalised by investors who believe in the founder's vision.

passive: be capitalised by [investors]

同義詞
  • fund

    broader term; can apply to any project, person, or organisation

  • finance

    similar scope; more common in general business English

  • back

    informal; suggests personal support and belief in the venture

  • underwrite

    formal; specifically refers to taking on financial risk or guaranteeing funding

反義詞
  • decapitalise

    to reduce the capital of a business; much rarer and technical

  • liquidate

    to close a business by selling its assets; opposite of providing capital

文法句型

capitalise + business/organisation

be capitalised by + source

be capitalised with + amount

用法筆記

Frequently passive in formal financial writing: 'the business was capitalised by a consortium of banks'. The subject of the active verb is typically an investor, bank, or government body that supplies the money. Distinguish from sense 1 (LETTER) which is about writing conventions, not finance.

常見錯誤

❌My uncle capitalised my university education.
✅My uncle funded my university education.
💡'capitalise' in the financial sense is used for businesses and projects, not for personal expenses.
❌The company capitalised by the venture capital firm.
✅The company was capitalised by the venture capital firm.
💡In this sense the verb is often used in the passive voice; including 'was' is grammatically necessary.