bastion
n. countable C1 Advanced US //ˈbæstʃən// UK //bˈæstiən// bas·tion
n. a strong place that protects something important, like a belief or a tradition. You use it to describe something that stands firm against change or attack.
n. a stronghold or defensive position; figuratively, a person or institution that vigorously defends a particular principle or tradition.
The library is a bastion of local history.
The university remains a bastion of academic freedom despite recent political pressure.
In an era of rapid digital transformation, the old publishing house stood as a bastion of traditional literary values.
First attested in 1562. From French bastion, from Old French bastille (“fortress”).