Langimage
English

undercapitalize

|un/der/cap/i/tal/ize|

C1

🇺🇸

/ˌʌndərˈkæpɪtəˌlaɪz/

🇬🇧

/ˌʌndəˈkæpɪtəlaɪz/

insufficient capital

Etymology
Etymology Information

'undercapitalize' originates from the prefix 'under-' meaning 'below' or 'insufficient' and the word 'capitalize' which comes from the Latin 'capitalis', meaning 'of the head'.

Historical Evolution

'capitalize' evolved from the Latin 'capitalis' through Old French 'capitaliser', eventually becoming the modern English word 'capitalize'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, 'capitalize' meant 'to convert into capital', but with the prefix 'under-', it evolved to mean 'to provide insufficient capital'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Verb 1

to provide insufficient capital to a business or project.

The startup failed because it was undercapitalized from the beginning.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/27 14:16