a third capital

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a third capital" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a third city that serves as a capital, either in a historical, political, or administrative context. Example: "After the recent changes in governance, the country now has a third capital, which is expected to help distribute administrative functions more evenly."

✓ Grammatically correct

Encyclopedias

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

A third capital was Nineveh.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The squadron was to have been accompanied by a third capital ship, the aircraft carrier, but it ran aground en route, leaving the squadron without air cover.

Wikipedia

Scalia once again took a starring role on Wednesday, as lead author of the 8-to-1 decision in Kansas v. Carr, in which the court sided with the state in ruling that the Constitution doesn't grant the brothers -- and a third capital defendant in unrelated murders -- a right to a sentencing procedure that treats evidence that mitigates their culpability more charitably than it does other evidence.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Basle 2 must be turned into a third capital-adequacy directive (CAD 3), which may overlap with a bunch of other directives on solvency, large exposures and capital.

The Economist

He made a similar point this month in a second capital case, Smith v. Spisak.

The New York Times

He had been born in the château, and from his coronation until the end of the 16th century, Blois was almost a second capital of France.

Encyclopedia Britannica

They claimed a second Capital One Cup under Pellegrini and he led City to the European Cup semi-final for the first time.

The Guardian - Sport

In a second capital punishment case, the court ruled that the death penalty cannot be imposed for the rape of a child.

The New York Times

The trial of Mr. Hayes, a longtime criminal and a former drug addict, is to be completed before prosecutors begin a second capital murder case against his co-defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky, perhaps next year.

The New York Times

Ancient Meroe, known today as Bijrawiyah, was a second capital in the kingdom of Kush from around 300 B.C. to 350 A.D. It was a major center for iron smelting, earning it the nickname "the Birmingham of Africa" by historians.

The New York Times

Muḥammad ibn Tughluq (reigned 1325 51) attempted to set up a Muslim military, administrative, and cultural elite in the Deccan, with a second capital at Daulatabad, but the Deccan Muslim aristocracy threw off the overlordship of Delhi and set up (1347) the Bahmanī sultanate.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase “a third capital”, ensure the context clearly establishes the existence of at least two previous capitals to avoid confusion. This provides a clear and logical sequence for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using “a third capital” if the prior capital cities have not been explicitly mentioned or are not commonly known. Lack of context can make the phrase ambiguous and less effective.

Linguistic Context

The phrase “a third capital” functions as a noun phrase, specifically as a determiner plus ordinal adjective plus noun. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's proper usage, indicating it is used to identify a specific capital city in a sequence.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Encyclopedias

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase “a third capital” is grammatically correct but rare. Ludwig AI validates this. It is a noun phrase used to identify the third city serving as a capital. The phrase appears mostly in news, encyclopedias and wiki sources. When using this phrase, ensure that the sequence of capitals is clear to your audience. More common alternatives, like "a subsequent capital", might offer greater clarity in some contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a subsequent capital

Replaces "third" with a more general term indicating sequence.

an additional capital

Uses "additional" to convey the idea of adding another capital city.

another capital city

Focuses on the addition of a new capital without specifying its order.

a further capital

Similar to "additional" but with a slightly more formal tone.

the next capital

Implies a sequence of capitals without being specific to the third.

a tertiary capital

Uses the term "tertiary" as the ordinal number for capital.

the succeeding capital

Indicates the capital that follows the previous one.

a secondary capital

Emphasizes a supporting capital, not necessarily third in a series.

a capital in addition

Reorders the phrase to place emphasis on adding a capital.

an extra capital

Uses the word "extra" to indicate an additional capital

FAQs

How can I use "a third capital" in a sentence?

You can use "a third capital" to refer to a city that becomes the third capital of a region, country or other geopolitical entity. For example: "After years of shifting power, the kingdom established its "a third capital" in the fertile valley".

What is a more formal alternative to "a third capital"?

A more formal alternative to "a third capital" is "a tertiary capital". This uses more academic language to denote the third capital in a sequence.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "a third capital"?

It is appropriate to use the phrase "a third capital" when you want to specify that a particular city is the third city to serve as the capital of a region, country or empire. It's important that a reader already knows the context of previous capitals.

Is "a third capital" different from "an additional capital"?

"A third capital" indicates a specific sequence. "An additional capital", like "another capital city", simply means adding another capital without specifying the order or historical sequence.