campanile

noun

cam·​pa·​ni·​le ˌkam-pə-ˈnē-lē How to pronounce campanile (audio)
ˌkäm-,
-(ˌ)lā,
especially of US structures also
ˌkam-pə-ˈnēl How to pronounce campanile (audio)
plural campaniles or campanili ˌkam-pə-ˈnē-lē How to pronounce campanile (audio)
ˌkäm-,
-(ˌ)lā
: a usually freestanding bell tower

Illustration of campanile

Illustration of campanile

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Even now, they are marked architecturally by distinctive campanile, or bell-towers, as well as by the sort of sinuously sloping windows, many garlanded by vines, seen in some of Muggia’s private houses. Tara Isbabella Burton, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2021 Calling to you from sea and land alike, the belltower of pretty Piran is a dead ringer for the famous campanile of St Mark's Square. Julia Buckley, CNN, 20 Apr. 2021 Defensive backs meet with a view of the campanile, Cal’s clock tower. John Branch, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2020 The city’s imperial gate was built in 1489—a bit of medieval flair that’s bolstered by the fourteenth-century campanile and the fifteenth-century baptistry. Kenneth R. Rosen, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2020 Formerly the Governor’s Palace, the mustard-yellow building, whose campanile dates to the 14th century, once housed a prison. David Holahan, courant.com, 13 Sep. 2019 The city’s treasures — picturesque campaniles and palazzos, charming gondolas plying the Grand Canal, and domed churches that seem to hover over the sparkling Venetian lagoon — exert a magnetic pull that is difficult to resist. Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, 5 July 2019 Automobili Pagani had moved to more splendid digs in San Cesario Sul Panaro that include a factory floor styled after a piazza, with street lamps and a campanile. Dan Neil, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2018 Nearby, don’t miss: Alghero, a picture-perfect medley of medieval sandstone palaces, colorful campaniles, and seaside promenades directly above the crashing Mediterranean sea. Eliot Stein, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 June 2017 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'campanile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from campana bell, from Late Latin

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of campanile was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near campanile

Cite this Entry

“Campanile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/campanile. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

campanile

noun
cam·​pa·​ni·​le ˌkam-pə-ˈnē-lē How to pronounce campanile (audio) ˌkäm- How to pronounce campanile (audio)
-(ˌ)lā,
 especially of U.S. structures also  ˌkam-pə-ˈnē(ə)l
plural campaniles or campanili
: a bell tower
especially : one built separate from another building

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