citadel
noun
cit·a·del ˈsi-tə-dᵊl 
-ˌdel
1
: a fortress that commands (see command entry 1 sense 2c) a city
2
: stronghold
the nation's citadel of health research
Constance Holden
Constance Holdena citadel of higher education
Synonyms
- bastion
- castle
- fastness
- fort
- fortification
- fortress
- hold
- redoubt
- stronghold
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
We visited a medieval citadel in Italy. a massive stone citadel continues to command the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia
Recent Examples on the Web The show’s star players, Rick and Morty, begin the new season stranded in space and floating aimlessly along with the remnants of the citadel. Tim Brown | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 4 Sep. 2022 As the prow of a five-film Disney blockbuster franchise, he will never be cast out of the citadel of extreme fame and wealth. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 This manor house and stone citadel look out on panoramic views of the bucolic valley of Savoie in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. Lauren Beale, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2021 The home is an unassuming citadel–an apt description given that the property began as a military fort in 1287. R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 16 July 2022 The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is a citadel of art and money, and sometimes taste, too. Dominic Green, WSJ, 15 July 2022 In the years that followed, Hayward Field would become a sports citadel, but not of the sport that launched it. oregonlive, 8 July 2022 Although there was no explicit permission to cut sculptures off the Parthenon, Elgin apparently took an expansive view, carting off about half of the surviving sculptures on the Athenian citadel. New York Times, 8 July 2022 Unfortunately, the ancient hall was built over the citadel’s latrines. Amanda Foreman, WSJ, 9 June 2022 See More
Tim Brown | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 4 Sep. 2022 As the prow of a five-film Disney blockbuster franchise, he will never be cast out of the citadel of extreme fame and wealth. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 This manor house and stone citadel look out on panoramic views of the bucolic valley of Savoie in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. Lauren Beale, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2021 The home is an unassuming citadel–an apt description given that the property began as a military fort in 1287. R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 16 July 2022 The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is a citadel of art and money, and sometimes taste, too. Dominic Green, WSJ, 15 July 2022 In the years that followed, Hayward Field would become a sports citadel, but not of the sport that launched it. oregonlive, 8 July 2022 Although there was no explicit permission to cut sculptures off the Parthenon, Elgin apparently took an expansive view, carting off about half of the surviving sculptures on the Athenian citadel. New York Times, 8 July 2022 Unfortunately, the ancient hall was built over the citadel’s latrines. Amanda Foreman, WSJ, 9 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle French citadelle, from Old Italian cittadella, diminutive of cittade city, from Medieval Latin civitat-, civitas — more at city
First Known Use
1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
citadel
noun
cit·a·del ˈsi-tə-dᵊl
-ˌdel
: a fortress that sits high above a city
citadels
noun
as in fortresses
a structure or place from which one can resist attack a massive stone citadel continues to command the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fortresses
- strongholds
- bastions
- fortifications
- castles
- forts
- ramparts
- parapets
- redoubts
- bunkers
- battlements
- bulwarks
- earthworks
- holds
- breastworks
- blockhouses
- embattlements
- dugouts
- kasbahs
- casbahs
- garrison houses
- alcazars