Captivate means to charm, to catch and hold the attention of others. Captivate is a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are captivates, captivated, captivating, captivation, captivator. Captivate enters the English language in the sixteenth century from the Latin word captare, which means to take, to hold.
Capture means to take physical possession of, to take prisoner, to control. Capture may also mean to accurately depict something or communicate something successfully. Capture is a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Capture is also used as a noun to describe a person or thing that is taken by force. Related words are captures, captured, capturing, capturer. Capture comes from the Latin word captūra, which means a catching.
Examples
Nepal Lit Fest continues to captivate Pokhara (The Kathmandu Post)
But while small groups of right-wingers can be relied on for protests, many South Koreans simply ignore the kinds of North Korea stories that captivate the wider world. (The Japan Times)
The illustrations by TeMika Grooms, enhance the craetivity of the story and will captivate young readers. (The Charlotte Observer)
A perfectly scripted duel between Peyton Manning and his heir apparent Cam Newton will captivate America on Sunday as the Super Bowl marks its 50th anniversary with a quarterback showdown for the ages. (Forbes Magazine)
Omani fragrances captivate visitors at Muscat Festival’s Al Amerat Park (The Times of Oman)
Denmark’s Justice Minister has admitted that the US sent a rendition flight to Copenhagen Airport to capture whistleblower Edward Snowden. (The Independent)
Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán very nearly eluded capture last week by resorting to the same trick he had used to escape from prison last year: a sophisticated tunnel. (The Wall Street Journal)
As they fly, the images they capture are streamed back to headquarters and any illegal dumps found are logged. (The Smithsonian Magazine)