Babylon

American  

[bab-uh-luhn, -lon] / ˈbæb ə lən, -ˌlɒn /

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.

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Babylon British  

/ 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

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Babylon ¹ Cultural  

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.)

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Babylon ² Cultural  

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.

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Discover More

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

The Jews (see also Jews) were taken captive into Babylon in the sixth century b.c. (See also under “The Bible.”)

Etymology

Origin of Babylon

via Latin and Greek from Hebrew Bābhél ; see _Babel

Example Sentences

He went on to add, with a reference to poet and fellow OBE critic Benjamin Zephaniah, that he “wanted to keep my distance from Downing Street and the great house of Babylon.”

From Washington Post

“All these that are destroyed, destroyed, destroyed in Babylon the great — how one hears the envy, the endless envy screeching through this song of triumph.”

From Washington Post

Clocking in at more than three hours, “Babylon” desperately needed an editor willing to challenge the director as the lengthy pacing afforded too much time for gratuitous chaos.

From Washington Times

Billionaire Elon Musk, a prominent fan of the Babylon Bee, bought Twitter in October for $44 billion, promising to make it a haven for free speech, and reinstated the Bee’s account in November.

From Washington Times

Each film is up for the guild’s top award, best ensemble, along with “Babylon,” “The Fabelmans” and “Women Talking.”

From Seattle Times