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
Examples of citadel in a Sentence
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
But the University of Chicago’s image as the citadel of free speech is being tested again — this time over an encampment on the central quad, which protesters of Israel’s war in Gaza have refused to leave for more than a week.
—Jeremy W. Peters Jamie Kelter Davis, New York Times, 6 May 2024
Nestled among these urban citadels were older industrial buildings, revitalized in a neighborhood that had fallen on hard times.
Inside the rooms, the cardboard, recyclable beds used in Tokyo are back.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for citadel 
Jeremy W. Peters Jamie Kelter Davis, New York Times, 6 May 2024
Nestled among these urban citadels were older industrial buildings, revitalized in a neighborhood that had fallen on hard times.
Inside the rooms, the cardboard, recyclable beds used in Tokyo are back.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for citadel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'citadel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near citadel
Cite this Entry
“Citadel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citadel. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
citadel
noun
cit·a·del
ˈsit-əd-ᵊl
-ə-ˌdel
1
: a fortress that sits high above a city
2
: a strong fortress
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