citadel
Americannoun
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a fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and in defense during attack or siege.
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any strongly fortified place; stronghold.
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(formerly) a heavily armored structure on a warship, for protecting the engines, magazines, etc.
noun
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a stronghold within or close to a city
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any strongly fortified building or place of safety; refuge
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a specially strengthened part of the hull of a warship
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(often capital) the headquarters of the Salvation Army
Etymology
Origin of citadel
1580–90; < Middle French citadelle < Old Italian cittadella, equivalent to cittad ( e ) city + -ella -elle
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.
Conscious of the difficulties of repatriating Behzad's artworks, Barry instead enlarged and reproduced them in 2017 for an exhibition at Herat's citadel.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
Among AEG’s recent developments is the IG Arena in the outer citadel of Nagoya Castle in Nagoya, Japan, where sports and entertainment events, including sumo wrestling, are held.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025
Peru is home to many of the Americas' most significant archaeological discoveries, including the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Andes and the mysterious Nazca Lines etched into the desert along the central coast.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025
“Here I am at 68 years old and I’m walking around this citadel of my childhood,” he said during a Zoom interview last week.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2024
The citadel in the sky had seemed alive, too.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
