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

see also:

hold the fort

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

Chase proves more clever in turning Maya’s harmless couch fort into a claustrophobic labyrinth. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Those scares are best exemplified by the film’s most inventive setpiece, where Gemma gets lost in an endless pillow fort filled with baddies around every corner. — William Earl, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

With a strong tide running in the Solent, and the proximity of that unyielding Napoleonic fort, there might not have been much to salvage from the boat if the Germans had capsized. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

The sign removed from the park explained that the rising sea level, as earth’s climate changes, could inundate the fort’s walls. — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 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