name
Babylon
BAB-ih-lon
name
1
The ancient Mesopotamian city on the Euphrates, capital of the Babylonian Empire.
"The Hanging Gardens were said to have grown in ancient Babylon."
2
Figuratively, any city or system associated with excess, wealth, and moral decay.
"Critics called the sprawling casino resort a modern Babylon."
3
In Rastafari usage, a term for oppressive Western institutions, the police, or corrupt authority in general.
"The song rails against "Babylon" and its systems of control."
How to Use Babylon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe historic Mesopotamian city, and by extension a symbol of decadence or oppressive authority.
When to use it
The "police/oppressive system" sense is strongly associated with Rastafari and reggae culture and reads as slang outside that context.
Word Forms
babylons plural
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The Hanging Gardens were said to have grown in ancient _____.
Etymology
From the Akkadian name meaning roughly "Gate of God," passed down through Greek and Latin into English.