1
Core quality
Having a great deal of space or capacity; roomy and able to contain much.
Example
The capacious archive can house thousands of manuscripts.
capacious
/kəˈpeɪʃəs/ · kuh-PAY-shusadjective
Having a great deal of space or capacity; roomy and able to contain much.
Use capacious to express this relationship precisely: having a great deal of space or capacity; roomy and able to contain much.
What capacious Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
A capacious central hall connects the smaller rooms.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
Despite its compact exterior, the bag is surprisingly capacious.
Use capacious Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The capacious archive can house thousands of manuscripts.
A capacious central hall connects the smaller rooms.
Despite its compact exterior, the bag is surprisingly capacious.
Precision Matters
Capacious overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
capacious
vs.Means having a great deal of space or capacity; roomy and able to contain much.
copious
Means abundant or plentiful in quantity.
capacious
vs.Means having a great deal of space or capacity; roomy and able to contain much.
prodigious
Means remarkably large or impressive.
capacious
vs.Means having a great deal of space or capacity; roomy and able to contain much.
paucity
Means a scarcity or insufficient amount of something.
capacious
vs.Means having a great deal of space or capacity; roomy and able to contain much.
constrain
Means limit, restrict, or hold back an action, choice, process, or development.
Test capacious in Context
The cabinet has ample internal space and capacity.
1
The museum selected a ___ cabinet capable of holding the entire collection.