Word
zion
Phoneticszion
/ˈzaɪən/
Definitions
01the hill or city of Jerusalem
n. a hill in Jerusalem that is often used as a name for the whole city in religious books.
n. the hill in Jerusalem on which the Temple was built; by extension, the city of Jerusalem itself.
“The ancient songs tell of the people returning to Zion after many years.”
“The pilgrims looked upon the walls of Zion with a sense of profound spiritual fulfillment, having traveled for months to reach the holy site.”
Literary · Formal
Usage
Often used with 'the' or as a proper noun without an article in poetic contexts.
Synonyms
02a spiritual home or utopia
n. a perfect place where people live together in peace and follow God.
n. a symbolic place of peace, unity, and righteousness; a spiritual kingdom or utopia.
“The community hoped to build a new Zion in the wilderness.”
“In various religious traditions, Zion represents not just a physical location but an ideal state of social and spiritual harmony.”
Literary
Teaching tip
This sense is common in hymns, poetry, and the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement.
Etymology
From Middle English Sion, from Old English Syon, from Ecclesiastical Latin Sīōn, from Koine Greek Σῑών (Sīṓn), from Biblical Hebrew צִיּוֹן (ṣiyyôn). Initial Z- was likely under influence from Early New High German Zion, itself influenced by the Ashkenazi pronunciation /t͡s/.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/zion