capitulation
noun
ca·pit·u·la·tion
kə-ˌpi-chə-ˈlā-shən 
1
: a set of terms or articles (see article sense 1c) constituting an agreement between governments
2
a
: the act of surrendering or yielding
the capitulation of the defenders of the besieged town
b
: the terms of surrender
Examples of capitulation in a Sentence
her sudden capitulation surprised everyone; she usually debated for hours
Recent Examples on the Web
Ukraine has criticized Russia’s participation in two rounds of direct talks, most recently on Monday, as putting forward terms for ending the war amounting to Ukraine’s capitulation and surrender.
—
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 4 June 2025
After the talks ended, Russian state news agencies published Moscow’s peace terms, listing the maximalist demands the Kremlin has made throughout the war, which have been flatly rejected by Kyiv as nothing short of capitulation.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 2 June 2025
To its credit, Harvard has demonstrated the correct response to this onslaught, which — unlike its Ivy peer Columbia — is not wide-ranging and immediate capitulation in the hopes that Trump and his team will leave them alone.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025
Kyiv says that would amount to capitulation and leave it defenceless.
—Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for capitulation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 4 June 2025
After the talks ended, Russian state news agencies published Moscow’s peace terms, listing the maximalist demands the Kremlin has made throughout the war, which have been flatly rejected by Kyiv as nothing short of capitulation.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 2 June 2025
To its credit, Harvard has demonstrated the correct response to this onslaught, which — unlike its Ivy peer Columbia — is not wide-ranging and immediate capitulation in the hopes that Trump and his team will leave them alone.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025
Kyiv says that would amount to capitulation and leave it defenceless.
—Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for capitulation
Cite this Entry
“Capitulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitulation. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share