capitulate

Capitulate is a verb meaning to surrender or yield, typically after negotiation or under pressure, often on agreed terms. It can also mean to concede to demands or to give in to a situation.

Etymology: from Medieval Latin capitulatus, from caput, head. The sense of "terms" derives from capitula or capitulations—agreements or clauses in treaties drawn up as headings or chapters.

In military contexts, a fortified position or force may capitulate to the terms set by the opposing party, ending hostilities. In broader use, to capitulate can mean yielding to pressure, whether political, economic, or social. The verb is often used with to: "capitulate to the demands." It can be used transitively or intransitively: "the city capitulated" or "the defenders capitulated to the besiegers."

Capitulation also exists as a noun: a capitulation is the act of capitulating or the actual written terms of surrender. The distinction from unconditional surrender is that capitulation implies negotiation and conditions.