fort

noun

ˈfȯrt 

1

: a strong or fortified place

especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification

2

: a permanent army post

—often used in place names

Synonyms of fort

• fortress
• stronghold
• fortification
• citadel
• castle
• bastion

Examples of fort in a Sentence

They captured the fort after a long battle.

a series of forts along the frontier

Recent Examples on the Web

Washington and his men had left the fort heading west toward the sounds of gunfire. — Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026

It was founded as a Spanish presidio, or fort, in the late 1700s. — Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026

Your adventures can range from setting foot in an ocean for the first time to creating an elaborate tree fort in the backyard. — Holly Lebowitz Rossi, Parents, 2 July 2026

Tipu himself was found slain near a passageway once used to bring water into the fort; it’s dubbed the Water Gate. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forte, from Anglo-French fort, from fort, adjective, strong, from Latin fortis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fort

• hold down the fort
• hold the fort

Rhymes for fort

• bort
• corte
• court
• dort
• mort
• norte
• ort
• port
• porte
• quart
• short
• snort

Kids Definition

fort

noun

ˈfō(ə)rt 

ˈfȯ(ə)rt

1

: a strong or fortified place

2

: a permanent army post