stronghold

[strawng-hohld, strong-] /ˈstrɔŋˌhoʊld, ˈstrɒŋ-/
noun
1.
a well-fortified place; fortress.
2.
a place that serves as the center of a group, as of militants or of persons holding a controversial viewpoint:
The campus was a stronghold of liberalism.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English; see strong, hold1
Synonyms
1, 2. bulwark, bastion. 2. home, refuge.
Examples from the web for stronghold
  • The refuge is a stronghold for populations of the endangered palmate-bracted bird's-beak and the threatened giant garter snake.
  • For the time being however, fighting continues in a desperate effort to try and dislodge the rebels from their stronghold.
  • Insurgents soon seized the city and turned it into a strategic stronghold.
  • One day there's a lethal flare-up in a mountain stronghold.
  • Should that be refused, he was to open fire on the stronghold.
  • In effect, each entrepôt carved its own stronghold from different niches of the world trading system.
  • The opposition is contesting almost all parliamentary and local seats in his area-a ruling party stronghold.
  • He was living in an insurgent stronghold, and any attempt to get near him could not have been kept secret.
  • A castle was a stronghold from which its occupants could control surrounding territory.
British Dictionary definitions for stronghold

stronghold

/ˈstrɒŋˌhəʊld/
noun
1.
a defensible place; fortress
2.
a major centre or area of predominance
Word Origin
C15: from strong + hold1 (in the archaic sense: a fortified place)
Word Origin and History for stronghold
n.

early 15c., from strong (adj.) + hold (n.) "fortified place, refuge."