citadel
n. countable C1 Advanced US //ˈsɪtəˌdɛɫ// UK //sˈɪtədˌɛl// citadel
n. a strong, high building or group of buildings used for protection. You use this word to describe a place that is safe and hard to attack.
n. a fortress situated on high ground, serving as a last line of defence within a city or region.
The soldiers retreated to the citadel.
During the siege, the royal family took shelter in the ancient citadel overlooking the valley.
The crumbling citadel stood as a silent witness to centuries of conflict, its stone walls bearing the scars of countless battles.
From French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, diminutive of città (“city”), from Latin cīvitās.