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⇱ citadel - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

citadel

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈsɪtədəl/, /ˈsɪtədɛl/

US:USA pronunciation: IPAUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈsɪtədəl, -əˌdɛl/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(sit′ə dl, -ə del′)



WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cit•a•del /ˈsɪtədəl, -əˌdɛl/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a fortress for defending a city.
  2. any strongly fortified place;
    stronghold:a citadel of right-wing economists.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cit•a•del  (sit′ə dl, -ə del′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and in defense during attack or siege.
  2. any strongly fortified place;
    stronghold.
  3. Military(formerly) a heavily armored structure on a warship, for protecting the engines, magazines, etc.
  • Old Italian cittadella, equivalent. to cittad(e) city + -ella -elle
  • Middle French citadelle
  • 1580–90

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
citadel /ˈsɪtədəl; -ˌdɛl/ n
  1. a stronghold within or close to a city
  2. any strongly fortified building or place of safety; refuge
Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French citadelle, from Old Italian cittadella a little city, from cittade city, from Latin cīvitās
'citadel' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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