plural captures
1
: an act or instance of capturing: such as
a
: an act of catching, winning, or gaining control by force, stratagem, or guile
the capture of the city by enemy forces
The criminals avoided/eluded/escaped capture.
… authorities increased the reward for information leading to his capture …—
Rachel Schilke
Rachel Schilke
b
: a move in a board game (such as chess or checkers) that gains an opponent's piece
In the original game of checkers, capture was optional, as it is in modern chess.—Jack Botermans et al.
Jack Botermans et al.
c
: the absorption by an atom, nucleus, or particle of a subatomic particle that often results in subsequent emission of radiation or in fission
d
: the act of recording in a permanent file
data capture
motion capture
e
: any of various methods of removing a substance from something (such as emissions produced by an industrial process) to reduce its presence in the atmosphere
especially
: carbon capture sense 1
Coal-fired plants operating in 2040 and beyond would have to use carbon capture and storage technology with 90% capture of carbon. —Mike Tony
Mike Tony … mercury capture in incinerator flue gas can be carried out … with high removal efficiencies … —Fabrizio Scala
Fabrizio Scala 2
: someone or something that is taken or captured (such as a war prize)
captured; capturing
ˈkap-chə-riŋ 
ˈkap-shriŋ
; captures
1
a
: to take and hold (someone or something) as a captive or prisoner
also
: to gain control of especially by force
capture a city
b
: to gain or win especially through effort
captured 60 percent of the vote
2
a
: to emphasize, represent, or preserve (something, such as a scene, mood, or quality) in a more or less permanent form
… at any such moment as a photograph might capture …—C. E. Montague
C. E. Montague
b
: to record in a permanent file (as in a computer)
The system is used to capture data relating to the buying habits of young people.
3
: to captivate and hold the interest of
The performer captured our attention.
4
: to take according to the rules of a game
A knight captured his pawn.
5
: to bring about the capture of (a subatomic particle)
6
astronomy
: to draw into the gravitational influence of a larger body
Asteroids were thought to be too small to capture a moon, but the moon might be a fragment that broke off.—Kenneth Chang
Kenneth ChangSynonyms
Examples of capture in a Sentence
Noun
the capture of the city by enemy forces
a Spanish treasure ship was the most valuable capture ever taken by that privateer
Verb
They were captured by enemy soldiers.
using traps to capture mice
The city was captured by the Romans.
She captured 60 percent of the vote in the last election.
The company plans on capturing a larger segment of the market.
The show has captured the attention of teenagers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Malach, WWD, 3 Feb. 2025
Images from the time of his capture suggest he was wounded.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Some broadcasts are also turning to higher camera angles to capture the full complexity of wide receiver and defensive back movement, both before and after the snap.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for capture 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Founder, supermodel Elsa Hosk spoke of her label’s capture of the Gen Z and Millennial demographic in a January interview.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 3 Feb. 2025
Images from the time of his capture suggest he was wounded.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
Verb
The candid post quickly captured the attention of Reddit users, with many scrambling to provide their opinions on what the mysterious markings could have once been.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Some broadcasts are also turning to higher camera angles to capture the full complexity of wide receiver and defensive back movement, both before and after the snap.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for capture
Dictionary Entries Near capture
Cite this Entry
“Capture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capture. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
capture
1 of 2 noun
cap·ture
ˈkap-chər
-shər
1
: the act of catching or gaining control by force or trickery
2
: something or someone captured
capture
2 of 2 verb
captured; capturing
ˈkap-chə-riŋ
ˈkap-shriŋ
1
a
: to take and hold especially by force
capture a city
b
: to gain or win as if by force
captured first prize
2
: preserve entry 1 sense 1
captured her smile on film
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