ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pentagon

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpɛnɪˌɡɑn// UK //pˈɛntəɡən// pen·ta·gon

n. the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. People often use this name to talk about the leaders of the American military.

n. the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington, Virginia. Often used metonymically to refer to the leadership of the U.S. military establishment.


SIMPLE

The Pentagon announced a new plan for national security.

CONTEXTUAL

Journalists waited outside the Pentagon for a statement regarding the recent changes in military strategy.

COMPLEX

While the building itself is a marvel of mid-century architecture, the Pentagon is more frequently discussed in political science as the central hub of American global strategic planning.

Origin

From the shape of the building.

Usage

When referring to the U.S. military headquarters, it is a proper noun and must be capitalized and preceded by the definite article 'the'.

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