BharatNotes Citadel
noun/ˈsɪtədəl/
A fortified area situated on elevated ground within or near a city, serving as a last refuge in times of siege and often housing administrative or ceremonial structures.
Usage in a UPSC answer
An independent judiciary must remain the citadel of the citizen's fundamental rights, standing firm against transient majorities and the encroachments of an overweening executive.
Synonyms
fortressstrongholdbastionfortbulwarkkeep
Antonyms
no man's landweak pointvulnerability
Word Family
citadel (n), citadels (n pl), civic (adj), civil (adj), city (n)
Root
Latin civitas = citizenship, community → Italian cittadella (dim. of citta = city) → French citadelle
Etymology
From French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, diminutive of citta ("city"), from Latin civitas ("citizenship, community"); first recorded in English c. 1542.
Memory Hook
"Citadel" hides "city" — a citadel is a fortified "little CITY" (Latin civitas) perched above the town to guard it.
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