citadel

[ sit-uh-dl, -uh-del ]
/ ˈsɪt ə dl, -əˌdɛl /
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, cit, cit., citadel, citalopram, citation, citation form, cite, cites
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to citadel

fortification, bastion, fortress, stronghold, manor, keep, castle, fastness, fort, blockhouse, redoubt

Example sentences from the Web for citadel

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