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per capita

 - 6 dictionary results

per cap⋅i⋅ta

  [per kap-i-tuh]
Use per capita in a Sentence
–noun
1. by or for each individual person: income per capita.
2. Law. noting or pertaining to a method of dividing an estate by which all those equally related to the decedent take equal shares individually without regard to the number of lines of descent.
Compare per stirpes.

Origin:
1675–85; < L: lit., by heads
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To per capita
per cap·i·ta   (pər kāp'ĭ-tə)   
adv.   & adj.

  1. Per unit of population; per person: In that year, Americans earned $15,304 per capita. Among the states, Connecticut has a high per capita income.

  2. Equally to each individual.


[Medieval Latin, by heads : Latin per, per + Latin capita, accusative pl. of caput, head.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

per capita [(puhr kap-i-tuh)]

A Latin phrase literally meaning “by heads,” and translated as “for each person.” It is a common unit for expressing data in statistics. A country's per capita personal income, for example, is the average personal income per person.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

per capita 
1682, from L., lit. "by the head," from per (see per) + capita "head" (see capital).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Per Capita

A Latin term that translates into "by head," basically meaning "average per person."

Investopedia Commentary

Often the term is used to express a country or region's income level. For example, consider a fictional region that has a collective income of $1 000 000 and 20 residents. The per capita income, or average income per person, is $50 000.

Related Links

Economics Basics Tutorial
Economic Indicators to Know

See also: Economics, Income, Mean, Standard Deviation

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: per cap·i·ta
Pronunciation: p&r-'ka-p&-t&
Function: adv or adj
Etymology: Medieval Latin, by heads
1 : equally to each individual per capita> —used of a method of distributing an esp. intestate estate —compare PER STIRPES
NOTE: Per capita distribution of an estate provides each descendant with an equal share of the estate's assets regardless of the degree of his or her kinship. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., all receive equal shares.
2 : per unit of population : by or for each individual per capita tax burden>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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