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

Did you know?

Bastion is related to bastille (a word now used as a general term for a prison, but probably best known as the name of the Parisian fortress-turned-prison stormed by an angry mob at the start of the French Revolution). It comes from the Italian verb bastire, which means "to build."

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.
And even JPMorgan Chase — not exactly a bastion of liberalism — on Wednesday seemed to draw a line in the sand. Allison Morrow, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025 Remember, California was once a conservative bastion. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025 Under Jeff Zucker in the first Trump Administration, CNN was a reliable bastion of left-wing opinion, featuring a string of high-profile prime-time personalities who grabbed audiences and providing a substantive opposing view to long-time cable ratings champ Fox News. David Bloom, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 The Supreme Court will remain a bastion of right-wing policies. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 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 2 Feb. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on bastion

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