Kremlin

American  

[krem-lin] / ˈkrɛm lɪn /

noun

1. the Kremlin,

   1. the executive branch of the government of Russia or of the Soviet Union, especially in regard to its foreign affairs.

   2. the citadel of Moscow, including within its walls the chief offices of the Russian and, formerly, of the Soviet government.

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Kremlin ¹ British  

/ ˈkrɛmlɪn /

noun

1. the 12th-century citadel in Moscow, containing the former Imperial Palace, three Cathedrals, and the offices of the Russian government

2. (formerly) the central government of the Soviet Union

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kremlin ² British  

/ ˈkrɛmlɪn /

noun

1. the citadel of any Russian city

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Kremlin Cultural  

1. A fortress in central Moscow that contains the central offices of the government of Russia and, formerly, the offices of the Soviet Union.

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Discover More

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

Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and other Kremlin functionaries live in highly-secure estates near the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye Highway west of Moscow, a suburban community dubbed “Moscow Beverly Hills.”

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Pointing to the issue of former Welsh Reform leader Nathan Gill being jailed for accepting Kremlin bribes, he added: "It's not about whataboutery, I think it's about proportionality."

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

When asked at a daily briefing about how long the outages will last, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "as long as additional measures are necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens."

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Kremlin foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the two leaders spoke about the Iran conflict and Venezuela, and Putin shared his views on solving the crisis in the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

In the summer of 2009, we’d brought them on a trip that included visits to the Kremlin in Moscow and the Vatican in Rome.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama