bastion
Americannoun
-
Fortification. a projecting portion of a rampart or fortification that forms an irregular pentagon attached at the base to the main work.
-
a fortified place.
- Synonyms:
- citadel, stronghold, bulwark, fort, fortress
-
anything seen as preserving or protecting some quality, condition, etc..
a bastion of solitude; a bastion of democracy.
noun
-
a projecting work in a fortification designed to permit fire to the flanks along the face of the wall
-
any fortified place
-
a thing or person regarded as upholding or defending an attitude, principle, etc
the last bastion of opposition
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bastion
1590–1600; < Middle French < Italian bastione, equivalent to Upper Italian bastí ( a ) bastion, originally, fortified, built (cognate with Italian bastita, past participle of bastire to build < Germanic; see baste 1) + -one augmentative suffix
Explanation
When the battle is getting long and the odds are getting longer, retreat to your bastion to regroup and prepare for the next round of fighting. A bastion is a stronghold or fortification that remains intact. French Independence Day, or Bastille Day (July 14), commemorates the storming in 1789 of the French king's prison/fort, the Bastille. Bastion and Bastille share the root bast, which means "build." Bastion can refer to any place to which one turns for safety; that can include not only buildings but also concepts, ideas, and even beliefs. The Church, for example, is a bastion of many religious beliefs.
Vocabulary lists containing bastion
Lord of the Flies
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Raisin in the Sun
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Katie was 46 when she visited Scotland with her 45-year-old brother, Jared Bastion, and their mother, Mary-Lou Mauch.
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2025
Coops remembers his helicopter turning around to collect his friend before they were both taken to Camp Bastion, and the long road to recovery began.
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2024
This was a plot twist for the small independent studio, which had always pursued new ideas — even after its debut game, Bastion, was an immediate hit that ultimately sold millions of copies.
From New York Times • May 13, 2024
Shoigu said the Bastion system would bolster Russian security around the Kuril island chain.
From Reuters • Mar. 22, 2023
“The fortress at La Cite, sir. We are evacuating. Leaving everything. We still hold the chateau and the Bastion de la Hollande. All other personnel are to fall back.”
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
