castle

1 of 2

noun

cas·​tle ˈka-səl How to pronounce castle (audio)
Synonyms of castle
1
a
: a large fortified building or set of buildings
b
: a massive or imposing house
2
: a retreat safe against intrusion or invasion
3
: rook entry 3

Illustration of castle

Illustration of castle
  • 1 fortified approach
  • 2 moat
  • 3 drawbridge
  • 4 ward
  • 5 angle tower
  • 6 donjon or keep
  • 7 chapel
  • 8 gallery

castle

2 of 2

verb

castled; castling ˈka-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce castle (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to establish in a castle
2
: to move (the chess king) in castling

intransitive verb

: to move a chess king two squares toward a rook and in the same move the rook to the square next past the king

Synonyms of castle

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of castle in a Sentence

Noun Millionaires built their castles along the lake. the implacable attackers placed the castle under a prolonged siege
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.
Noun
There’s a section dedicated to coffee makers of many sizes and colors; reproductions of El Morro castle with a small slot for a paper roll that tells the story of the fortress; and maracas made in Cuba by artisans. — Sarah Moreno august 7, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 Choose a walk through the chalky Chiltern Hills, or make the 30-minute drive to Windsor Castle; a bastion of British royalty, it was founded in the 11th century and is the oldest inhabited castle in the world. — Katie Silcox, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
The proactive Axar Patel hit an aggressive 27 before being castled by Nathan Ellis. — Tim Ellis, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 For example, pawns could not move two squares on their first turn, and there was no similar rule for castling. — Dylan Loeb McClain, New York Times, 27 May 2023 See All Example Sentences for castle

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English castel, from Old English, from Old French & Latin; Old French dialect (Norman-Picard) castel, from Latin castellum fortress, diminutive of castrum fortified place; perhaps akin to Latin castrare to castrate

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of castle was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing castle

Rhymes for castle

See All Rhymes for castle

Browse Nearby Words

cast-iron plant
castle
Castlebar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Castle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castle. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

castle

noun
cas·​tle
ˈkas-əl
1
a
: a large building or group of buildings usually having high walls with towers and a surrounding moat for protection
b
: a large or impressive house
2
: rook entry 3
Etymology

Noun

Middle English castel "castle," from early French castel (same meaning), from Latin castellum "castle, fortress" — related to château

More from Merriam-Webster on castle

Nglish: Translation of castle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about castle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All