Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense capitalizes, present participle capitalizing, past tense, past participle capitalizedregional note: in BRIT, also use capitalise
1. verb
If you capitalizeon a situation, you use it to gain some advantage for yourself.
The rebels seem to be trying to capitalize on the public's discontent with the government. [VERB + on/upon]
2. verb
In business, if you capitalize something that belongs to you, you sell it in order to make money.
[business]
Our intention is to capitalize the company by any means we can. [VERB noun]
The company will be capitalized at £2 million. [beV-ed + at]
Synonyms: sell, put up for sale, trade, dispose of More Synonyms of capitalize
capitalization (kæpɪtəlaɪzeɪʃən)uncountable noun
...a massive capitalization programme.
capitalize in British English
or capitalise (ˈkæpɪtəˌlaɪz)
verb(mainly tr)
1. (intransitive; foll byon)
to take advantage (of); profit (by)
2.
to write or print (text) in capital letters or with the first letter of (a word or words) in capital letters
3.
to convert (debt or retained earnings) into capital stock
4.
to authorize (a business enterprise) to issue a specified amount of capital stock
5.
to provide with capital
6. accounting
to treat (expenditures) as assets
7.
a.
to estimate the present value of (a periodical income)
b.
to compute the present value of (a business) from actual or potential earnings
capitalize in American English
(ˈkæpətəlˌaɪz)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈcapitalˌized or ˈcapitalˌizing
1.
to use as capital; convert into capital
2.
to calculate the present value of (a periodical payment, annuity, income, etc.); convert (an income, etc.) into one payment or sum equivalent to the computed present value
3.
to establish the capital stock of (a business firm) at a certain figure
4.
to convert (floating debt) into stock or shares
5. US
to supply capital to or for (an enterprise)
6. US
to print or write (a word or words) in capital letters
7. US
to begin (a word) with a capital letter
8. Accounting
to set up (expenditures) as assets
Idioms:
capitalize on something
capitalize in Finance
(kæpɪtəlaɪz)
Word forms: (present) capitalizes, (past) capitalized, (perfect) capitalized, (progressive) capitalizing
verb
(Finance: General)
If you capitalize a business enterprise, you obtain money from somewhere to start or run your business.
We can capitalize the business by borrowing money, looking for private investment, or issuing stock.
We have found an investor who will capitalize the new bank with about $15 million.
If you capitalize a business enterprise, you obtain money from somewhere to start or run your business.
capitalization
capitalize in Accounting1
(kæpɪtəlaɪz)
Word forms: (present) capitalizes, (past) capitalized, (perfect) capitalized, (progressive) capitalizing
verb
(Accounting: Investing)
If you capitalize a business enterprise, you obtain money from somewhere to start or run your business.
COLLOCATIONS: ~ a business
We can capitalize the business by borrowing money, looking for private investment, or issuing stock.
We have found an investor who will capitalize the new bank with about $15 million.
If you capitalize a business enterprise, you obtain money from somewhere to start or run your business.
capitalize in Accounting2
(kæpɪtəlaɪz)
Word forms: (present) capitalizes, (past) capitalized, (perfect) capitalized, (progressive) capitalizing
verb
(Accounting: Financial statements)
If you capitalize a purchase, you treat it as an asset rather than an expense.
COLLOCATIONS: ~ a purchase~ an expense
Rather than expense the purchase of the new computer, we decided to capitalize it and keep it on the balance sheet as an asset.
The Tax Court told the company that the takeover expense must be capitalized.
If you capitalize a purchase, you treat it as an asset rather than an expense.
Examples of 'capitalize' in a sentence
capitalize
Usually, when one villain takes out another, they're eager to capitalize on it.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
Still, someone out there knows, is somehow involved, and is trying to capitalize on the possibility regardless of how slim.
Terman, Douglas CORMORANT (2002)
It is only natural that you should try to push me into a corner and capitalize on it.
Jenkins, Geoffrey A DAYSTAR OF FEAR (2002)
Steere had the superior position and he had to stay fluid to capitalize on the circumstances.
Lisa Scottoline ROUGH JUSTICE (2002)
In other languages
capitalize
British English: capitalize VERB
If you capitalize on a situation, you use it to gain some advantage for yourself.
The rebels seem to be trying to capitalize on the public's discontent with the government.
American English: capitalize
Brazilian Portuguese: capitalizar
Chinese: 利用
European Spanish: capitalizar
French: tirer parti
German: Kapital schlagen
Italian: sfruttare
Japanese: つけ込む
Korean: 이용하다
European Portuguese: capitalizar
Latin American Spanish: capitalizar
Chinese translation of 'capitalize'
capitalize
(ˈkæpɪtəlaɪz)
vi
to capitalize on sth利用某事 (lìyòng mǒushì)
vt
(Comm) 为(為) ... 提供资(資)本 (wèi ... tígōng zīběn)
(verb)
Definition
to convert (debt or earnings) into capital stock
The company will be capitalized at £50 million.
Synonyms
sell
I sold everything I owned except for my car and books.