zion

IPA/ˈzaɪən/
KK[zˈaɪən]IPA/ˈzaɪən/

zion — noun

1. the hill inside the walls of ancient Jerusalem where King David built his strong

1.nounC2
Definition

the hill inside the walls of ancient Jerusalem where King David built his stronghold; in the Hebrew Bible and later writings, also used as a poetic name for the whole city of Jerusalem

Example

Thousands of visitors climb the stone path up Mount Zion every spring.

Mount Zion — the full geographical name for the hill

The ancient fortress on Zion guarded the old city of Jerusalem for centuries.

Common collocations
  • Mount Zion
  • hill of Zion
  • daughter of Zion
Synonyms
  • Jerusalem

    refers to the whole city; Zion specifically means the ancient hill and fortress within it

Usage Note

Often capitalised. Appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, especially in the Psalms and the books of the prophets.

2. a term for the Jewish people as a nation, the religion of Judaism, or the ideal

2.nounC1
Definition

a term for the Jewish people as a nation, the religion of Judaism, or the ideal of a Jewish national home — strongly associated with the land of Israel in both ancient and modern contexts

Example

The old rabbi spoke about the dream of returning to Zion at dinner.

For two thousand years, Jewish communities around the world prayed for Zion.

pray for Zion — Zion as the Jewish homeland in religious language

Common collocations
  • return to Zion
  • songs of Zion
  • love of Zion
Synonyms
  • Israel

    refers to the modern state or the biblical land; Zion carries stronger spiritual and national aspiration overtones

  • the Promised Land

    specifically the land promised by God in the Bible; Zion emphasises the people and the ideal more than the territory

Usage Note

Frequently capitalised. Central term in Jewish liturgy and in modern political discourse about Israel.

Common Mistakes

Zion is a small country next to Jordan.
Israel is a country; Zion refers to the Jewish homeland as a spiritual and national concept.
Zion is not the name of a modern country.

3. in Christian belief, a name for heaven or the kingdom of God, especially as a pl

3.nounC2
Definition

in Christian belief, a name for heaven or the kingdom of God, especially as a place where the faithful go after death; common in hymns, sermons, and older devotional writing

Example

The choir practised a beautiful old hymn about the gates of Zion.

gates of Zion — a traditional image in Christian hymns for entering heaven

In Sunday school, the children sang about walking together toward Zion.

Common collocations
  • heavenly Zion
  • gates of Zion
  • march to Zion
Synonyms
  • heaven

    the general term for the afterlife in Christian belief; Zion is a more poetic, specifically biblical name

  • the New Jerusalem

    refers to the heavenly city described in the Book of Revelation; Zion is a broader, more lyrical term used across many hymns

Usage Note

Found mainly in Christian hymns, sermons, and older devotional writing. Less common in everyday modern Christian speech.

Word family

  • Zionism
    nounC1
  • Zionist
    nounC1
  • Zionist
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

These four terms all point to the connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel, but they differ in focus and tone. Zion emphasises the spiritual and national ideal — you might speak of 'the dream of Zion' or 'returning to Zion' in a prayer or speech. Israel is the modern political state and also the biblical name for the land; it is the most neutral, everyday term. The Promised Land is specifically the territory God promised to Abraham in the Bible — it belongs to biblical and religious language. The Holy Land is a broader geographical term used by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, referring to the whole region. When she sang about Zion at the Passover table, she was expressing hope for the Jewish homeland; when the news report mentioned Israel, it was referring to the modern country.

Israel ↗the Promised Landthe Holy Land

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • of Zion

Etymology

HebrewGreekLatinEnglish

The name of a hill in ancient Jerusalem, from Hebrew Ṣiyyôn, possibly meaning 'citadel' or 'dry place.' It entered English through Greek (Σιών) and Latin (Sion). Over centuries, Jewish and Christian religious writing gave the word wider meanings: it came to stand for Jerusalem itself, then for the Jewish people as a nation, and finally for heaven in Christian thought.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b