Babylon

[ bab-uh-luhn, -lon ]

noun

1. an ancient city of SW Asia, on the Euphrates River, famed for its magnificence and culture: capital of Babylonia and later of the Chaldean empire.
2. any rich and magnificent city believed to be a place of excessive luxury and wickedness.
3. a city on S Long Island, in SE New York.

Babylon

/ ˈbæbɪlən /

noun

1. the chief city of ancient Mesopotamia: first settled around 3000 bc See also Hanging Gardens of Babylon
2. offensive.
   (in Protestant polemic) the Roman Catholic Church, regarded as the seat of luxury and corruption
3. derogatory.
   any society or group in a society considered as corrupt or as a place of exile by another society or group, esp White Britain as viewed by some West Indians

Babylon

¹

1. The capital of the ancient empire of Babylonia, which conquered Israel in the sixth century b.c. The Jews (see also Jews ) were exiled to Babylon, which they found luxurious and corrupt. The prophet Daniel became a counselor to the king of Babylon ( see the handwriting on the wall ), and eventually the Israelites were allowed to return to their homeland. ( See also Daniel in the lions' den .)

Babylon

²

1. A city in ancient Mesopotamia , famed for its hanging gardens (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World ) and for the sensual lifestyle of its people.

Notes

A “Babylon” is any place of sin and corruption.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Babylon¹

via Latin and Greek from Hebrew Bābhél ; see Babel

Example Sentences

The cemetery’s representatives shared preliminary documents with the planning department for the town of Babylon, and met with department representatives in January 2022.

From ProPublica

This is especially apt given that ancient Babylon is one of the historical locations where we see the Eternals influencing humanity in the movie.

From TechCrunch

Their interest in stars suggests Babylon, famous for its astrologers.

From Time

In Babylon, I wrote the music for the film and it was on the fly.

From Essence.com

But Babylon asks us to do a little more: It wants us to empathize.

From The Daily Beast

O daughter of Babylon… Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

From The Daily Beast

Read Psalm 137, the one that was turned into the catchy reggae song “Rivers of Babylon.”

From The Daily Beast

The Israelites were carried off to Babylon, where they wept by the waters.

From The Daily Beast

The many glories of Babylon, for example, lay unexplored not far from the boundaries of Baghdad.

From The Daily Beast

Ezechias shews all his treasures to the ambassadors of Babylon: upon which Isaias foretells the Babylonish captivity.

From Project Gutenberg

As a nation, after the return from Babylon, under Nehemiah, the whole people and their rulers also entered into covenant with God.

From Project Gutenberg

The prophet foretells the seventy years captivity; after that the destruction of Babylon, and other nations.

From Project Gutenberg

And all this land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment: and all these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

From Project Gutenberg

The prophet sends chains to divers kings, signifying that they must bend their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon.

From Project Gutenberg