Meanings
acropolis1
plural acropolises · plural acropoleis · alternative akropolis
- 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.
1 more example
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.
1850, Karl Otfried Müller, John Leitch, transl., Ancient Art and Its Remains; or, A Manual of the Archæology of Art, page 146
Acropolis2
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe Athenian Acropolis.
Origin
acropolis · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱrós
- Proto-Hellenic[Term?]
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓́κρος (ắkros)
- Proto-Indo-European*tpelH-
- Proto-Hellenic*ptólis
- Ancient Greekπόλῐς (pólĭs)
- Ancient Greekἀκρόπολις (akrópolis)
- Englishacropolis
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀκρόπολις (akrópolis, “acropolis; high part of a city”), from ᾰ̓́κρος (ắkros, “at the edge; extreme, outermost”) + πόλῐς (pólĭs, “city; the Athenian citadel”). By surface analysis, acro- + -polis.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Acropolis · proper noun
- Ancient GreekἈκρόπολις“Acropolis”
- EnglishAcropolis
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀκρόπολις (Akrópolis, “Acropolis”), from ἄκρος (ákros, “highest”) + πόλις (pólis, “city”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀκρόπολις, Ἀκρόπολις
- ἀκρόπολις (akrópolis)promontory of Ancient Greek cities
- Ἀκρόπολις (Akrópolis)Athenian Acropolis
Basque akropoli
- akropolipromontory of Ancient Greek cities
Bulgarian Акро́пол
- Акро́пол (Akrópol)Athenian Acropolis
Catalan acròpolis, Acròpolis
- acròpolispromontory of Ancient Greek cities
- AcròpolisAthenian Acropolis
Chinese Mandarin 衛城 /卫城
- 衛城 /卫城 (wèichéng)promontory of Ancient Greek cities
Czech akropole, akropolis
- akropolepromontory of Ancient Greek cities
- akropolispromontory of Ancient Greek cities
- AkropolisAthenian Acropolis
- AkropoleAthenian Acropolis
Danish Akropolis
- AkropolisAthenian Acropolis
Dutch Akropolis
- AkropolisAthenian Acropolis
Esperanto akropolo
- akropolopromontory of Ancient Greek cities
Finnish akropolis, Akropolis
- akropolispromontory of Ancient Greek cities
- AkropolisAthenian Acropolis
French acropole
- acropolepromontory of Ancient Greek cities
German Akropolis
- AkropolisAthenian Acropolis
Greek ακρόπολη, Ακρόπολη
- ακρόπολη (akrópoli)promontory of Ancient Greek cities
- Ακρόπολη (Akrópoli)Athenian Acropolis
Hindi अक्रोपोलिस
- अक्रोपोलिस (akropolis)Athenian Acropolis
Icelandic Akrópólishæð
- AkrópólishæðAthenian Acropolis
Indonesian akropolis
- akropolispromontory of Ancient Greek cities
Irish An Acrapoil, An tAcrapolas
- An AcrapoilAthenian Acropolis
- An tAcrapolasAthenian Acropolis
Italian Acropoli
- AcropoliAthenian Acropolis
Japanese アクロポリス
- アクロポリス (akuroporisu)Athenian Acropolis
Korean 아크로폴리스
- 아크로폴리스 (akeuropolliseu)Athenian Acropolis
Malay Akropolis
- AkropolisAthenian Acropolis
Polish akropol, Akropol
- akropolpromontory of Ancient Greek cities
- AkropolAthenian Acropolis
Portuguese acrópole, Acrópole
- acrópolepromontory of Ancient Greek cities
- AcrópoleAthenian Acropolis
Romanian acropolă
- acropolăpromontory of Ancient Greek cities
Russian акрополь, Акро́поль
- акрополь (akropolʹ)promontory of Ancient Greek cities
- Акро́поль (Akrópolʹ)Athenian Acropolis
Spanish acrópolis, Acrópolis
- acrópolispromontory of Ancient Greek cities
- AcrópolisAthenian Acropolis
Tagalog akropolis
- akropolispromontory of Ancient Greek cities
Turkish akropolis
- akropolispromontory of Ancient Greek cities
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
acropolis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acropolis
“acropolis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acropolis. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acropolis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acropolis.
Source: acropolis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.