citadel
Americannoun
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a fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and in defense during attack or siege.
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any strongly fortified place; stronghold.
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(formerly) a heavily armored structure on a warship, for protecting the engines, magazines, etc.
noun
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a stronghold within or close to a city
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any strongly fortified building or place of safety; refuge
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a specially strengthened part of the hull of a warship
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(often capital) the headquarters of the Salvation Army
Etymology
Origin of citadel
1580–90; < Middle French citadelle < Old Italian cittadella, equivalent to cittad ( e ) city + -ella -elle
Explanation
A citadel is a fortified structure designed to provide protection during a battle. So, back in the days when pillaging was commonplace, it was a good idea to know where your nearest citadel was. Among the most historically famous citadels are the Acropolis in Athens and the Tower of London. Even though we're building fewer physical fortresses these days, citadel remains a useful word, particularly when you need to create a metaphor suggesting strength and safety. As poet John Keats wrote, "[I]t appears to me that almost any man may like the spider spin from his own inwards his own airy citadel."
Vocabulary lists containing citadel
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
Closer to the border, the citadel in the village of Shamaa was also partly destroyed by the Israeli military.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
The recently opened IG Arena stands in the outer citadel of Nagoya Castle in Nagoya, Japan, which was built in the early 1600s, when samurai battles raged in the region.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025
Peru is home to many of the Americas' most significant archaeological discoveries, including the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Andes and the mysterious Nazca Lines etched into the desert along the central coast.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025
During a lull in heavy rain late Friday, a torchbearer lit a cauldron in front of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, on the citadel that dominates the Athens skyline and is Greece’s top tourist draw.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2024
She said coolly, “When it comes to the defense of the citadel and our five lives...yes, you are.”
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
