fortress

noun

for·​tress ˈfȯr-trəs 

: a fortified place : stronghold

especially : a large and permanent fortification sometimes including a town

fortresslike

ˈfȯr-trəs-līk 

adjective

Synonyms of fortress

• stronghold
• citadel
• fortification
• castle
• bastion
• fort

Examples of fortress in a Sentence

the boys built a snow fortress and then challenged the neighborhood kids to an in-your-face snowball fight

Recent Examples on the Web

Software costs little to replicate, yielding fat profit margins and fortress balance sheets. — Hugh Son, CNBC, 24 July 2026

El Castillo de Esparza may carry the title of a fortress, but its pool, tennis court and putting greens suggest a far more leisurely kingdom. — Donna Hardie-Scott, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The Spaniards have taken the air out of the balls, played keep-away, erected a flawless defensive fortress, and hijacked tournament brackets from far more direct teams like France and England. — Filip Bondy, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026

As recidivist would-be escapees, de Boeldieu, Marechal, and Rosenthal are transferred to an impregnable medieval fortress, commanded by Captain von Rauffenstein, now burnt, broken in body, and wearing a neck brace. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forteresse, from Anglo-French fortelesce, forteresse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis strong

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fortress

noun

for·​tress ˈfȯr-trəs 

: a fortified place