Bastion
/ˈbæstiən/
Definitions
A projecting part of a fortification; a stronghold or center of defense.
/ˈbæstiən/
A projecting part of a fortification; a stronghold.
The city's walls featured numerous bastions.
💡 Simply: A strong, protected place.
More Examples
The church was a bastion of faith in the community.
How It's Used
"The castle's bastion withstood the siege."
"The old traditions remain a bastion against modern influences."
From Old French *bastion, from Italian bastione, from bastire "to build". Originally referring to a projecting part of a fortification, it later came to mean a stronghold or defender of something.
In military contexts, 'bastion' was used extensively in descriptions of fortifications from the 16th century onwards. Its figurative use became prevalent in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Memory tip
Think of 'base' and 'strong' - a bastion is a strong, fortified base.
Word Origin
"to build"