noun · 5 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.
/ˈsɪtədəl/
/ˈsɪtədɛl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S IH1 T AH0 D EH2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A strong fortress that sits high above a city.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A stronghold or fortified place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An armoured portion of a warship, housing important equipment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A Salvation Army meeting place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
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: bastion
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: stronghold, fastness
Narrower terms: acropolis, kremlin
History
Etymology
From French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, diminutive of città (“city”), from Latin cīvitās.
Across languages
Translations
90 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مَعْقِل
(maʕqil)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Armenian:
միջնաբերդ
(miǰnaberd)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Aromanian:
tsitati
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Aromanian:
grãditã
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Belarusian:
цытадэ́ль
(cytadélʹ)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Bulgarian:
цитаде́ла
(citadéla)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Catalan:
ciutadella
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Chinese Mandarin:
堡壘 /堡垒
(bǎolěi)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Czech:
citadela
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Dutch:
citadel
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Esperanto:
citadelo
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Esperanto:
altaĵo
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Estonian:
tsitadel
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Finnish:
sitadelli
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
French:
citadelle
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Georgian:
ციტადელი
(ciṭadeli)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
German:
Zitadelle
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Greek:
ακρόπολη
(akrópoli)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Ancient Greek:
ἀκρόπολις
(akrópolis)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Hebrew:
מְצוּדָה
(metzudá)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Hungarian:
citadella
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Hungarian:
fellegvár
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Italian:
cittadella
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Japanese:
城塞
(jōsai)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Korean:
성채
(seongchae)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Latin:
arx
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Latvian:
citadele
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Lithuanian:
citadelė
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Macedonian:
цитадела
(citadela)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Māori:
tihi
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Māori:
toitoi
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Persian:
ارگ
(arg)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Persian:
کلات
(kalât)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Polish:
cytadela
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Portuguese:
cidadela
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Romanian:
citadelă
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Romanian:
cetate
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Russian:
цитаде́ль
(citadɛ́lʹ)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Russian:
кре́пость
(krépostʹ)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Serbo-Croatian:
цитадела
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Serbo-Croatian:
citadela
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Slovak:
citadela
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Slovene:
citadela
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Spanish:
ciudadela
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Spanish:
alcázar
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Swedish:
citadell
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Tagalog:
moog
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Turkish:
iç kale
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Ottoman Turkish:
ارك
(erk)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Ukrainian:
цитаде́ль
(cytadélʹ)
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Uzbek:
ark
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Vietnamese:
thành luỹ
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Vietnamese:
thành trì
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Vietnamese:
thành quách
— a strong fortress that sits high above a city
Albanian:
kala
— a stronghold or fortified place
Albanian:
fortesë
— a stronghold or fortified place
Arabic:
مَعْقِل
(maʕqil)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Arabic:
قَلْعَة
(qalʕa)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Arabic:
قِلْعَة
(qilʕa)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Belarusian:
цытадэ́ль
(cytadélʹ)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Bulgarian:
цитаде́ла
(citadéla)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Catalan:
ciutadella
— a stronghold or fortified place
Chinese Mandarin:
城堡
(chéngbǎo)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Czech:
citadela
— a stronghold or fortified place
Dutch:
citadel
— a stronghold or fortified place
Finnish:
linnoitus
— a stronghold or fortified place
Finnish:
linnake
— a stronghold or fortified place
French:
citadelle
— a stronghold or fortified place
German:
Zitadelle
— a stronghold or fortified place
Italian:
cittadella
— a stronghold or fortified place
Japanese:
城塞
(jōsai)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Korean:
성채
(seongchae)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Latin:
arx
— a stronghold or fortified place
Macedonian:
цитадела
(citadela)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Polish:
cytadela
— a stronghold or fortified place
Portuguese:
cidadela
— a stronghold or fortified place
Romanian:
citadelă
— a stronghold or fortified place
Romanian:
fortificație
— a stronghold or fortified place
Romanian:
cetate
— a stronghold or fortified place
Russian:
цитаде́ль
(citadɛ́lʹ)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Russian:
кре́пость
(krépostʹ)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Serbo-Croatian:
цитадела
— a stronghold or fortified place
Serbo-Croatian:
citadela
— a stronghold or fortified place
Slovak:
citadela
— a stronghold or fortified place
Slovene:
citadela
— a stronghold or fortified place
Turkish:
hisar
— a stronghold or fortified place
Ottoman Turkish:
حصن
(hısn)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Ukrainian:
цитаде́ль
(cytadélʹ)
— a stronghold or fortified place
Vietnamese:
thành trì
— a stronghold or fortified place
Welsh:
chadarnle
— a stronghold or fortified place