bastion

noun

bas·​tion ˈbas-chən How to pronounce bastion (audio)
1
: a projecting part of a fortification
a bastion at each of the fort's five corners
2
: a fortified area or position
bombing island bastions
3
: stronghold sense 2
the last bastion of academic standardsAmer. Scientist
bastioned adjective

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Bastion today usually refers to a metaphorical fortress, a place where an idea, ethos, philosophy, culture, etc. is in some way protected and able to endure. But its oldest meaning concerned literal fortifications and strongholds. Bastion likely traces back to a verb, bastir, meaning “to build or weave,” from Old Occitan, a Romance language spoken in southern France from about 1100 to 1500. Bastir eventually led to bastia, an Italian word for a small quadrangular fortress, and from there bastione, referring to a part of a fortified structure—such as an outer wall—that juts or projects outward. Bastione became bastion in Middle French before entering English with the same meaning. You may be familiar with another bastir descendent, bastille, which refers generically to a prison or jail, but is best known as the name of the Parisian fortress-turned-prison stormed by an angry mob at the start of the French Revolution; the Bastille’s fall is commemorated in France by the national holiday Bastille Day.

Examples of bastion in a Sentence

the rebel army retreated to its bastion in the mountains to regroup
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While its craggy slopes may seem barren at first glance, the mountain is actually a bastion of Canarian biodiversity, with Teide violets, red bugloss and Tenerife lizards all calling the region home. Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 And at the helm of this bastion of truth stands a man of vision, a man of class, of fortitude, secretary, doctor extravagant —Dr. Lonnie Bunch. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 11 May 2025 Jordan is a close Western ally that has long been seen as a bastion of stability in the volatile Middle East. Omar Akour, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025 Despite the challenging shifts, there are still brands that serve as bastions of fat fashion, inclusion, and style. Essence, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bastion

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, borrowed from Italian bastione, from bastia "small quadrangular fortress" (from an Upper Italian counterpart to Tuscan bastita, from feminine past participle of bastire "to build," probably borrowed from Old Occitan bastir "to weave, build," or its Gallo-Romance ancestor) + -one, augmentative suffix (going back to Latin -ō, -ōn-, suffix of nouns denoting persons with a prominent feature) — more at bastille

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bastion was in 1546

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Cite this Entry

“Bastion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bastion. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

bastion

noun
bas·​tion ˈbas-chən How to pronounce bastion (audio)
: some place or something that gives protection against attack
a bastion of democracy

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