citadel.

a strongly fortified place, especially a fortress protecting or dominating a city

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Words that belong together

• fortified citadel
• hilltop citadel
• walls of the citadel

On the page

The citadel rose above the city's roofs.

Refugees crowded beneath the citadel walls.

The army could take the market district but not the citadel.

Usage notes

Primary curation section: Fantasy. A real architectural and military term, not inherently magical. Often more defensible than the surrounding settlement. Plural: citadels.