Dictionary.com

citadel

[ sit-uh-dl, -uh-del ]
/ ˈsɪt ə dl, -əˌdɛl /
Save This Word!

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.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of citadel

1580–90; <Middle French citadelle<Old Italian cittadella, equivalent to cittad(e) city + -ella-elle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use citadel in a sentence

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
FEEDBACK