1. a fortress or prison, especially one seen as a symbol of oppression
Usage: often capitalized when referring to the famous French fortress

Examples

• The Bastille was stormed by revolutionaries on July 14, 1789.
• The old castle served as a bastille for political prisoners.
• They viewed the corrupt government as their bastille to overcome.
• The fortress stood like a bastille overlooking the town.
• Breaking free from that oppressive workplace felt like escaping a bastille.