0 a strong castle in or near a city, where people can shelter from danger, especially during a war:
The town has a 14th century citadel overlooking the river.
1 a powerful organization in which finding a job is difficult for someone who does not know people who work there:
The same ignorance is to be found in even more enlightened citadels.
Go north and see the gutted fortresses of what once were great citadels of old success.
The pools of unemployment are lapping around citadels of industrial power.
Nowadays it is a less plausible alliance—the television entrepreneurs, safely entrenched in their citadels of power but hand in hand with the industry's creative people.
Steel and insurance are the citadels of twentieth century power, and no society moving towards a planned economy can afford to concede autonomy to two such giants within its ranks.
I was not clear whether he wanted the field of secondary education to be completely free or whether he wanted to maintain certain citadels of privilege.
I am also glad that it is intended to clear up some of the so-called trade unions and banks which have been citadels of illicit arms and subversive organisatons.
Certain buildings found in citadels having a central room, the "megaron", of oblong shape surrounded by small rooms may have served as places of worship.