noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Australian, Received-Pronunciation:/ˈbæsti.ən/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
British, Southern, Standard:/ˈbastɪjən/
US:/ˈbæsti.ən/
US:/ˈbæst͡ʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
New-Zealand:/ˈbɛsti.ən/
Scotland:/ˈbaste.ən/
homophone: Bastian
CMU ARPABET:B AE1 S CH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A projecting part of a rampart or other fortification.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A well-fortified position; a stronghold or citadel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A person, group, or thing, that strongly defends some principle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
a bastion of hope
the bastion of democracy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Any large prominence; something that resembles a bastion in size and form.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To furnish with a bastion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
projecting part of a rampart or other fortification
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fortification, munition
7
noun
Meaning 7
a stronghold into which people could go for shelter during a battle
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: citadel
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: stronghold, fastness
Narrower terms: acropolis, kremlin
8
noun
Meaning 8
a group that defends a principle
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a bastion against corruption
the last bastion of communism
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: defense, defence, defense force, defence force
History
Etymology
First attested in 1562. From French bastion, from Old French bastille (“fortress”).
Across languages
Translations
78 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Armenian:
բաստիոն
(bastion)
— projecting part of a rampart
Belarusian:
бастыён
(bastyjón)
— projecting part of a rampart
Bulgarian:
бастио́н
(bastión)
— projecting part of a rampart
Catalan:
bastió
— projecting part of a rampart
Chinese Mandarin:
棱堡
(léngbǎo)
— projecting part of a rampart
Chinese Mandarin:
堡壘 /堡垒
(bǎolěi)
— projecting part of a rampart
Czech:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Danish:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Dutch:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Dutch:
bolwerk
— projecting part of a rampart
Estonian:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Finnish:
bastioni
— projecting part of a rampart
Finnish:
vallinsarvi
— projecting part of a rampart
French:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Georgian:
ბასტიონი
(basṭioni)
— projecting part of a rampart
German:
Bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
German:
Bollwerk
— projecting part of a rampart
German:
Bastei
— projecting part of a rampart
Greek:
προμαχώνας
(promachónas)
— projecting part of a rampart
Greek:
έπαλξη
(épalxi)
— projecting part of a rampart
Greek:
προπύργιο
(propýrgio)
— projecting part of a rampart
Hungarian:
bástya
— projecting part of a rampart
Irish:
urdhún
— projecting part of a rampart
Italian:
bastione
— projecting part of a rampart
Japanese:
堡塁
— projecting part of a rampart
Korean:
보루
(boru)
— projecting part of a rampart
Latvian:
bastions
— projecting part of a rampart
Lithuanian:
bastionas
— projecting part of a rampart
Macedonian:
бастио́н
(bastión)
— projecting part of a rampart
Norwegian Bokmål:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Norwegian Nynorsk:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Polish:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Portuguese:
bastião
— projecting part of a rampart
Romanian:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Russian:
бастио́н
(bastión)
— projecting part of a rampart
Serbo-Croatian:
бѐдем
— projecting part of a rampart
Serbo-Croatian:
у̀порӣште
— projecting part of a rampart
Serbo-Croatian:
бастѝо̄н
— projecting part of a rampart
Serbo-Croatian:
bèdem
— projecting part of a rampart
Serbo-Croatian:
ùporīšte
— projecting part of a rampart
Serbo-Croatian:
bastìōn
— projecting part of a rampart
Slovak:
bastión
— projecting part of a rampart
Slovene:
bastijon
— projecting part of a rampart
Spanish:
bastión
— projecting part of a rampart
Swedish:
bastion
— projecting part of a rampart
Ottoman Turkish:
برج
(burc)
— projecting part of a rampart
Ottoman Turkish:
طابیه
(tabya)
— projecting part of a rampart
Ukrainian:
бастіо́н
(bastión)
— projecting part of a rampart
Danish:
befæstning
— well-fortified position
Finnish:
linnake
— well-fortified position
German:
Bastion
— well-fortified position
Greek:
προπύργιο
(propýrgio)
— well-fortified position
Italian:
cittadella
— well-fortified position
Italian:
bastione
— well-fortified position
Italian:
fortezza
— well-fortified position
Latin:
vallum
— well-fortified position
Polish:
bastion
— well-fortified position
Portuguese:
bastião
— well-fortified position
Romanian:
bastion
— well-fortified position
Spanish:
bastión
— well-fortified position
Swedish:
befästning
— well-fortified position
Danish:
bastion
— person who strongly defends some principle
Finnish:
puolestapuhuja
— person who strongly defends some principle
German:
Bastion
— person who strongly defends some principle
Greek:
προπύργιο
(propýrgio)
— person who strongly defends some principle
Italian:
bastione
— person who strongly defends some principle
Italian:
baluardo
— person who strongly defends some principle
Italian:
rocca
— person who strongly defends some principle
Italian:
difesa
— person who strongly defends some principle
Italian:
usbergo
— person who strongly defends some principle
Norwegian Bokmål:
bastion
— person who strongly defends some principle
Norwegian Nynorsk:
bastion
— person who strongly defends some principle
Polish:
bastion
— person who strongly defends some principle
Portuguese:
bastião
— person who strongly defends some principle
Portuguese:
baluarte
— person who strongly defends some principle
Romanian:
bastion
— person who strongly defends some principle
Spanish:
bastión
— person who strongly defends some principle
