citadel

[ sit-uh-dl, -uh-del ]

/ ˈsɪt ə dl, -əˌdɛl /

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See synonyms for citadel on Thesaurus.com

noun

a fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and in defense during attack or siege.

any strongly fortified place; stronghold.

(formerly) a heavily armored structure on a warship, for protecting the engines, magazines, etc.

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Origin of citadel

1580–90; <Middle French citadelle<Old Italian cittadella, equivalent to cittad(e) city + -ella-elle

Words nearby citadel

cistron, cistus, cistvaen, cis woman, cit, citadel, citalopram, citation, citation form, cite, CITES

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use citadel in a sentence

Understanding both the similarities and differences between the two sieges is critical to properly safeguarding this citadel of democracy — and democracy itself — moving forward.
The similarities to the last invasion of the Capitol matter — so do the differences|Lawrence Hatter|January 11, 2021|Washington Post
That’s a plot line for a Tom Clancy novel, not something that would happen in the citadel of democracy.
A coup attempt and an undivided government|Alan Murray|January 7, 2021|Fortune
He hits bottom at Rocamadour, a sanctuary in the Dordogne known as a citadel of faith devoted to Mary.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They severed the last railroad lifeline into Atlanta, making the Citadel of the Confederacy as it was touted no longer tenable.
Atlanta’s Fall Foretold The End Of Civil War Bloodshed|Marc Wortman|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken.
Is There a Ma Joad for the Piketty Era?|Katie Baker|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once this citadel is breached, the other walls can come tumbling down.
Praying While Packing Heat and Other Unwieldy American Traditions|Jack Schwartz|February 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It turns out that Santorum has a deep connection to the Citadel.
The Real Appeal of Rick Santorum|Michael Tomasky|January 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The jagged top and spurs of San Jacinto Mountain shone like the turrets and posterns of a citadel built of rubies.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
The Spaniards, hard pressed on all sides, seemed determined to make their last stand in the old citadel.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He resides in the Citadel Rhamnughur, which lies on the left bank of the Ganges, above the town.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
He was so good a man, and so profoundly revered by the Athenians, that they intrusted to him the keys of their citadel.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
Calvin thereupon adopted Geneva as the site of his moral fortunes; he made it thenceforth the citadel of his ideas.
Catherine de' Medici|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for citadel

citadel

/ (ˈsɪtədəl, -ˌdɛl) /

noun

a stronghold within or close to a city

any strongly fortified building or place of safety; refuge

a specially strengthened part of the hull of a warship

(often capital) the headquarters of the Salvation Army

Word Origin for citadel

C16: from Old French citadelle, from Old Italian cittadella a little city, from cittade city, from Latin cīvitās

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

citadel

Origin of citadel

Words nearby citadel

Words related to citadel

How to use citadel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for citadel

Word Origin for citadel