citadel
/ˈsɪt.ə.dəl/
noun
Origin
Italian
cittadella — little city
Overview
Meaning Now
- A fortress, typically on high ground, protecting or dominating a city.
- A stronghold or fortified place, often used metaphorically to describe a place of sanctuary or a bastion of beliefs.
Literal older meaning
little city
Language path
Latin → Italian → French → English
Earliest form
citadel
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term reflects the Renaissance practice of building small, self-contained fortresses within or adjacent to cities to ensure control by a ruler or to provide a final point of defense against invading forces.
Evolution
- Latin
civitas
“city or community of citizens”
- Italian
cittadella
“little city, fortified place”
Diminutive form of 'città'
- Middle French
citadelle
“citadel”
- 16th-century English
citadel
“fortress”
Connections
Word parts
città
root
city
-ella
suffix
diminutive marker
Related across languages
Italian
cittadella
citadel
French
citadelle
citadel
Spanish
ciudadela
citadel
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Related to citadel
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.