Kremlin
Americannoun
noun
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the 12th-century citadel in Moscow, containing the former Imperial Palace, three Cathedrals, and the offices of the Russian government
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(formerly) the central government of the Soviet Union
noun
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The term Kremlin was also used figuratively to mean the former Soviet government.
Etymology
Origin of Kremlin
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”
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.
See Examples For:
The spike comes amid a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks, which have repeatedly led the Kremlin to shut down mobile internet across large swathes of the country, leaving many unable to pay by card.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
“Competition is indeed fierce, but it’s an engine for progress,” said Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Politically, however, much higher fuel prices would be unacceptable for the Kremlin.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The Kremlin leader provided no evidence to back his claim.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Ambassador Llewellyn Thompson walked into the grand auditorium of Kremlin Palace.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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Ancient Pskov, with its dilapidated, mossy-walled kremlin, was still the Red Army's prime target.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Its sprawling kremlin is, next to Moscow's own, the most spectacular in Russia.
From Time Magazine Archive
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The town above with its kremlin, whose circumference measures two versts, and which resembles that of Moscow, was altogether abandoned.
From Michael Strogoff Or, The Courier of the Czar by Verne, Jules
If now we cross over to the other side of the river, we are at once confronted by something which very few Russian towns possess—a kremlin, or citadel.
From Russia by Wallace, Donald Mackenzie, Sir
The people of Moscow rose, and the streltsi marched to the kremlin where the appearance of Natalia with the two children made the mob hesitate.
From The Story of Russia by Bergen, R. Van
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.