acropolis

See also: Acropolis, acrópolis, and Acrópolis

English

Alternative forms

• akropolis

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀκρόπολις (akrópolis), from ἄκρος (ákros, “topmost”, “tip”, “summit”) + πόλις (pólis, “city”); By surface analysis, acro- +‎ -polis.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: əkrŏʹpəlĭs, IPA^(key): /əˈkɹɒpəlɪs/,

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

acropolis (plural acropolises or acropoleis)

1. A promontory (usually fortified with a citadel) forming the hub of many Grecian cities, and around which many were built for defensive purposes before and during the classical period; compare Acropolis.
   • 1850, Karl Otfried Müller, John Leitch, transl., Ancient Art and Its Remains; or, A Manual of the Archæology of Art‎^[1], page 146:

     The Etruscans, then, appear in general as an industrious people ( φιλότεχνον ἔθνος), of a bold and lofty spirit of enterprise, which was greatly favoured by their priestly aristocratic constitution. Massive walls, mostly of irregular blocks, surround their cities (not merely their acropoleis); the art of protecting the country from inundations by the construction of canals, and outlets from lakes, was very zealously practised by them.

Related terms

• acropolitan (pertaining adjective)
• acropoli (non-standard plural)

Translations

promontory of Ancient Greek cities

• Armenian: ակրոպոլիս (hy) (akropolis)
• Basque: akropoli
• Catalan: acròpolis f
• Czech: akropole (cs) f, akropolis f
• Finnish: akropolis
• French: acropole (fr) f
• Georgian: აკროპოლისი (aḳroṗolisi)
• Greek: ακρόπολη (el) f (akrópoli)

  Ancient: ἀκρόπολις f (akrópolis)

• Indonesian: akropolis
• Macedonian: а́кропол m (ákropol)
• Polish: akropol (pl) m
• Portuguese: acrópole (pt) f
• Romanian: acropolă (ro) f
• Russian: акрополь (ru) m (akropolʹ)
• Spanish: acrópolis (es) f
• Tagalog: akropolis
• Turkish: akropolis (tr)

Anagrams

• prosocial