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• Kremlin
  Kremlin

  noun

  the Kremlin,
• kremlin
  kremlin

  noun

  the citadel of any Russian city

Kremlin

American  

[krem-lin] / ˈkrɛm lɪn /

noun

1. the Kremlin,

   1. the executive branch of the government of Russia or of the Soviet Union, especially in regard to its foreign affairs.

   2. the citadel of Moscow, including within its walls the chief offices of the Russian and, formerly, of the Soviet government.

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Kremlin ¹ British  

/ ˈkrɛmlɪn /

noun

1. the 12th-century citadel in Moscow, containing the former Imperial Palace, three Cathedrals, and the offices of the Russian government

2. (formerly) the central government of the Soviet Union

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kremlin ² British  

/ ˈkrɛmlɪn /

noun

1. the citadel of any Russian city

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Kremlin Cultural  

1. A fortress in central Moscow that contains the central offices of the government of Russia and, formerly, the offices of the Soviet Union.

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Discover More

The term Kremlin was also used figuratively to mean the former Soviet government.

Etymology

Origin of Kremlin

First recorded in 1655–65; earlier Kremelien, from German (now obsolete), from Old Russian kremlĭnŭ (unrecorded), derivative of kremlĭ “citadel” (modern Russian kremlʾ ), of disputed origin; perhaps akin to Old Russian Kromŭ, the citadel of Pskov, Ukrainian króma “partition,” Russian kromá, krómka “edge, border”; alternatively, perhaps of Turkic origin, akin to Turkish kermen “castle”

Example Sentences

But the decree included the exact grid coordinates for the square, which borders Putin’s official residence inside the Kremlin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

And how has the Kremlin responded to these challenges?

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Russian forces are losing nearly 35,000 soldiers a month, according to Western intelligence estimates, more than the Kremlin can recruit.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

What is new is the language used by the Kremlin to justify such attacks – and it is related to one specific incident.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

In Moscow, where it was afternoon, Sergei Khrushchev stood in the hall of the family home, watching his father talk on his direct line to the Kremlin.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin