stronghold

[strawng-hohld, strong-]

See more synonyms for stronghold on Thesaurus.com

noun

a well-fortified place; fortress.
a place that serves as the center of a group, as of militants or of persons holding a controversial viewpoint: The campus was a stronghold of liberalism.

Origin of stronghold

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at strong, hold¹

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1, 2. bulwark, bastion. 2. home, refuge.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for stronghold

Contemporary Examples

A Shiite stronghold wrapped in a Sunni explosive belt—not exactly a picture of stability.
The Nuclear Deal That Iran’s Regime Fears Most
Djavad Khadem
November 22, 2014
In Diyarbakır, a PKK stronghold, protestors defied orders to remain indoors.
Kobani is Falling to ISIS in Syria. Kurd Protests Explode in Turkey.
Jamie Dettmer
October 10, 2014
It still remains incredibly difficult for new comics and heroes to get a stronghold in the marketplace.
DC Comics’ Diversity Crisis: Why the Status Quo Rules
Liz Watson
July 20, 2014
Aleppo has been a stronghold of the more legitimate opposition to Bashar al-Assad.
Why the Border Bigots Are Beating Obama
Michael Tomasky
July 9, 2014
Several are dead and Western journalists taken hostage as open warfare erupts around pro-Russian stronghold of Slovyansk.
Eastern Ukraine Explodes, Russian Invasion Grows More Likely
Jamie Dettmer
May 2, 2014

Historical Examples

Meantime the stronghold of Mauburn's optimism was being desperately stormed.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
This stronghold Morgan must have if he ever hoped to win Panama.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
Silchester was originally a British stronghold, and was called by them Calleva.
English Villages
P. H. Ditchfield
Otherwise, not on Morality, but on Cookery, let us build our stronghold.
Old-Fashioned Ethics and Common-Sense Metaphysics
William Thomas Thornton
Stronghold after stronghold fell into their hands, until they were in Urbino itself.
The Life of Cesare Borgia
Raphael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for stronghold

stronghold

noun

a defensible place; fortress
a major centre or area of predominance

Word Origin

C15: from strong + hold 1 (in the archaic sense: a fortified place)

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

Word Origin and History for stronghold

n.

early 15c., from strong (adj.) + hold (n.) "fortified place, refuge."

stronghold

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}stronghold

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for stronghold

Contemporary Examples

A Shiite stronghold wrapped in a Sunni explosive belt—not exactly a picture of stability.

In Diyarbakır, a PKK stronghold, protestors defied orders to remain indoors.

It still remains incredibly difficult for new comics and heroes to get a stronghold in the marketplace.

Aleppo has been a stronghold of the more legitimate opposition to Bashar al-Assad.

Several are dead and Western journalists taken hostage as open warfare erupts around pro-Russian stronghold of Slovyansk.

Historical Examples

Meantime the stronghold of Mauburn's optimism was being desperately stormed.

This stronghold Morgan must have if he ever hoped to win Panama.

Silchester was originally a British stronghold, and was called by them Calleva.

Otherwise, not on Morality, but on Cookery, let us build our stronghold.

Stronghold after stronghold fell into their hands, until they were in Urbino itself.

stronghold

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for stronghold

n.

Origin of stronghold