Kremlin

[ krem-lin ]

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.

Kremlin

¹

/ 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

kremlin

²

/ ˈkrɛmlɪn /

noun

1. the citadel of any Russian city

Kremlin

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

Notes

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kremlin¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kremlin¹

C17: from obsolete German Kremelin, from Russian kreml

Example Sentences

The inauguration had to be held in the fortified Kremlin, surrounded by an eerily quiet city.

From The Daily Beast

On Tuesday, two senior Kremlin officials, Vladimir Avdeyenko and Boris Rapoport, quit their jobs.

From The Daily Beast

Now the Kremlin will assign more loyal people to rule the region, mostly military leaders.

From The Daily Beast

The Kremlin likes to portray these as sinister Western conspiracies.

From The Daily Beast

The Kremlin is far away—almost 1,000 kilometers away, in fact.

From The Daily Beast

From the middle rises the fortress of the Kremlin, the many churches send up a forest of dome-capped towers.

From Project Gutenberg

This is a southern barrier of the Kremlin and is a fortress of nearly triangular shape.

From Project Gutenberg

The Kremlin, hitherto out of the range of the flames, was now in danger.

From Project Gutenberg

When the French approached the Kremlin they were saluted by a discharge of musketry.

From Project Gutenberg

We were conducted to the Kremlin, and had hardly arrived in sight of these old walls than we were exposed to a discharge of shot.

From Project Gutenberg